


Page Break

by scapegoat



Series: Write The Next Chapter With Me [1]
Category: Ever After High, Monster High
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - No Ever After High, Alternate Universe - No Monster High, Barbie References, Bigotry & Prejudice, Curses, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Disability, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fae & Fairies, Fairy Tale Elements, Fashion & Couture, Found Family, Friendship is Magic, Girl Power, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Lipstick & Lip Gloss, Magic, Makeovers, Medication, Mental Health Issues, Monster High Cupid, Monsters, Multiple Realms, Music & Musicians, Nail Polish, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Roller Derby, Roommates, Sleepovers, Teen Romance, Teenage Rebellion, Underage Drinking, Women Being Awesome, teenagers being teenagers, vlogging - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:53:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26987029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scapegoat/pseuds/scapegoat
Summary: “We are not our parents and I see no reason for us to be. To hell with their legacies! Their stories were already told. It’s time we create our own stories! And did our own storytelling!” – Raven R. QueenWhen Snow White and several other Queens create Legacy Isles, their perfect storytale world for their daughters, and open it to other storybook creatures, the presence of The Evil Queen's daughter and some Wonderlandians ruin their fantasy.
Relationships: Bunny Blanc & Kitty Cheshire & Madeline "Maddie" Hatter & Lizzie Hearts & Courtly Jester, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Series: Write The Next Chapter With Me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969585
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. that poor, troubled girl

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Ever After High, Monster High, Barbie, or any piece of media I may have used as a reference.  
> A/N: Because some of these Ever After High adult characters ("The Dark Fairy" in particular, don't have actual names I'm using the names I've found from whatever book/film/cartoon adaptation.)  
> Also - The Big Bad Wolf/Mr. Badwolf is just Mr. Wolf making Ramona's surname also just Wolf.  
> As Sleeping Beauty's real name is Briar Rose - Briar's surname is Rose making her Briar Rose Jr.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven "I'm Not Royalty" Queen incites chaos on her first day on Legacy Isles, and really what should they have hexpected from _The_ Evil Queen’s daughter?

When her mother’s damn familiar flew into the study mid-rant, Raven was... curious, to say the least. It usually waited until after her mother was finished complaining to enter. An “invite” to “Legacy Isles?” Her mother had read out loud. First of all, where or _what_ the hell was that? And secondly, the fact that a piece of folded paper in a crow’s mouth could have her mother looking so puzzled was priceless.  
  
Her mother returned two hours later having deciphered the (magical, apparently) letter. Evidently, from the sound of things, her mother’s “mortal enemy” Snow White and some other Queens from neighboring kingdoms created a bunch of islands for their perfect princess daughters to play ruler. ~~It made Raven want to gag.~~ She was only a queen in name only and her mother got her surname legally changed sometime before her birth.  
  
Either way, she was surprised to discover they were going to check the islands out.  
  
Well, she wasn’t really that surprised. Fifteen-and-a-half years with this woman? Raven knew her mother was up to something nefarious. She didn’t have the same flair for destruction as her mother, which disappointed the woman greatly, but Raven supposes that could be her father’s influence. He taught her to see the good in people. To see the good in herself. In spite of her family history. Either way, a change of scenery might not be such a bad thing. Hell itself would be welcomed if it meant she didn’t have to be homeschooled anymore. (She could understand why her father wanted nothing to do with his hex-wife but this split custody thing was a headache.)h  
  
A few days later, after getting all packed, a fairy appeared opening a bubble portal for them taking them to Legacy Isles. (Oh if only it was her father’s week.)  
  
Inside the bubble, Raven saw all the sunshine and rainbows and had to shield her eyes. Even her father’s house wasn’t as... bright as all this. She noticed thousands of other bubbles also floating around, around theirs.  
  
Her mother tenses, putting a hand on Raven’s shoulder. (Raven can imagine all this brightness must be hurting her eyes, given the aesthetic of the magic lab.)  
  
“Welcome all!” Snow White – presumably – greets, standing on a stage with several people behind her seated in chairs, outstretching both arms and having a bunch of doves landing on them. “We open our home of Legacy Isles to you all!” Raven hears cheering and clapping, _then her bubble pops_ and she falls face first in the concrete. Naturally, her mother’s heeled feet land gracefully nhext to her face. Then she hears the woman sigh loudly.  
  
“Oh boy, that was quite a fall!” A cheery voice chuckles, then nhext thing Raven knows she’s carefully being hauled up. The short, curly blue-haired girl in the frilly green and white dress beams at her. “All good now?”  
  
“Uh... yeah? Thanks.”  
  
The blue-haired salutes her, “ _oh_! You got some...” She pulls a handkerchief out of the teacup on her tiny saucer shaped hat then gives it to Raven. “Dirt... kinda... all over.”  
  
“That usually happens when you eat a mouthful of it.” Raven wipes her face then turns to the girl.  
  
“All good!” She gives the purple-haired teen a thumbs up. “Madeleine Hatter, at your service.” She takes her tiny hat off when she curtsies.  
  
When she rises she puts the hat back on her head but twists it backwards. “Hatter.... like _Mad_ Hatter?”  
  
“And Madeleine like the cookie! My old man – though he’d never tell anyone who old he really is – had too much tea before ‘bubble time’ so he’s in the little hatter’s room at our teahouse but, uh, yup. I am... that!” She tilts her head to the right and _tea_ pours out of her hat though _a mouse_ comes out of her dress pocket with a cup and it catches the tea then disappears once the tea is done pouring.  
  
Raven gapes because either the girl doesn’t notice or is used to this and Raven isn’t sure which is stranger.  
  
When she snaps out of her stupor, she shakes her head. “Uh... I’m Raven.” She glances at her mother raising an eyebrow at her before turning back to Madeleine, “Raven Queen.” She sighs out.  
  
“Oh! Should I bow?”  
  
“What? No. No! Please don’t. I’m not...” Raven slowly runs a hand down her face, “I‘m not royalty—” She ignores her mother’s loud scoff, “‘Queen’ is just my surname.”  
  
“Oh!” Madeleine curtsies again, “charmed to meet you, Ms. Raven Not Royalty Queen.”  
  
“Just Raven is fine and... charmed to meet you too.”  
  
Madeleine pulls a cookie, a cookie of her namesake, out of her left shirt sleeve, “it’s a Wonderland tradition to share a treat with a new friend!”  
  
Raven happily accepts the cookie then Madeleine pulls another one out of her right shirt sleeve then they toast their cookies together and take a bite at the same time, “uh... should I ask how these are like fresh out of the oven warm?”  
  
“My sleeves are salamanders!”  
  
“I’m gonna go on a limb here and say you’re talking about the oven and not the ...lizard.” Raven eats the rest of her cookie.  
  
“You’re a sharp one.” Madeleine puts the rest of the cookie in her mouth.  
  
“Wait a second. If... If your dad isn’t here, did you come with your mom or some other family member?”  
  
“Nope. Just me and pop-pop live in our teashop.”  
  
“You came to this place without any family?”  
  
The blue-haired girl nods, “my Papa’s hoping to open another teahouse here!”  
  
“But he hasn’t opened it, yet.”  
  
“Well, uh... no.”  
  
“If you don’t mind my mom’s occasional side glance—” The woman scoffs looking away, “you can hang with me. You’re small and there’s a big crowd.”  
  
“I’m tea-party sized!”  
  
“And adorable but that’s beside the point.”  
  
She nods, “right. I’ll just—”  
  
“Wait.” Raven squints then does a double-take at the _smile_ ominously hanging near Madeleine’s right shoulder. “Uh...?” She jumps at least a foot in the air when a _cat_ materializes on Madeleine’s shoulder attached to the smile. “W-What the hell is that?”  
  
Madeleine turns to the cat who waves, “Kitty.”  
  
“I know that’s a kitty—”  
  
“No, no...” The catgirl purrs, “my _name_ is Kitty.”  
  
“Not... very creative.” The ca-girl sticks her tongue out.  
  
“This is Kitty Cheshire—” The Cheshire Cat. She should’ve known. When the letter she only briefly got to look at said all book characters were welcomed, she figured there’s be some... interesting individuals to meet. And if the blue-haired girl is the kid of The Mad Hatter why wouldn’t she know the kid of the Cheshire Cat? “—Kitty, this is Raven Queen. But she’s not royalty, it’s just her surname.”  
  
Kitty looks her up and down then _grins_ that fucking smug Cheshire Cat grin. “Why are you pestering poor, sweet Maddie?” She lovingly pets the blue-haired teen’s head.  
  
“She wasn’t! We’re friends!”  
  
“‘Friends?’ Don’t you know who that is, Mads?” The blue-haired shakes her head. “You want to be friends with _The_ _Evil Queen_ ’s daughter? We’ve even heard about her terror in Wonderland.” ~~_Naturally_~~ ~~, her mother lets out an amused, impressed hum.~~  
  
“She’s friends with _you_ , isn’t she?”  
  
Kitty looks over at her, surprised, and Raven raises an eyebrow. “Ooh.” She bares her fangs but there’s no animosity in the action, “I like this one.”  
  
“I know! Isn’t she great? The natural eye wallops again!”  
  
Fairies flocks come from the sky separating the crowds into smaller, more manageable groups.  
  
“I thought fairies were people-sized?” Kitty muses tapping her chin.  
  
“Maybe they’re not outside of Wonderland? Or the fairy realm?” Madeleine questions with a shrug.  
  
“This is your first time out of Wonderland?”  
  
“Of course it is.” Kitty responds airily, “what possible reason do we have to leave?”  
  
“Then why did you accept the invite?”  
  
Kitty bats her eyelashes at Raven, “why else? To sow some destruction and chaos~”  
  
“ _And_ to make new friends!” Madeleine pipes in, hooking one arm in Raven’s and the other in Kitty’s. “I’ve read _tons_ of books but to see the stories they—no—to see the _people_ ...or not people the stories were based from? It’s so hexciting!”  
  
“I’m hexcited to pop into Neverland.”  
  
“Aren’t you?!” The blue-haired jumps up and down, rocking both Kitty and Raven along with her. “I can’t wait to fly! There’s specifically a no fly rule in Wonderland.”  
  
“I’ll admit I didn’t the chance to read the letter, fully. Just... what the hell is going on here?”  
  
“I’ll give you the long and short of it.” Kitty begins pulling a madeleine from Madeleine’s sleeve and stuffing it into the blue-haired teen’s mouth. “‘Legacy Isles’ is all about stories and storytelling. From the infamous to the barely known. There are six interconnected islands but I’ll admit, I don’t know what’s what.” She shrugs, “probably doesn’t matter. According to headmaster White’s letter, we’re here to get better acquainted with our parents’ stories and recreate their legacies.”  
  
“ _What_!? Are you—oh no! Oh no, no, no! I am _not_ ending up just like my mother!”  
  
“Not with that attitude.” Her mother says with a sneer.  
  
Raven glares at her before turning back to Kitty and Madeleine. “Continue our parents—” She growls tugging at her hair, “that’s such... bullshit! We are _not_ our parents, me especially—” She shudders, “—and I see no reason for us to be! To hell with _their_ legacies! Why do they need ‘recreating?’ Their stories were already told!” Kitty beams as a small crowd begins to form around Raven, unbeknownst to the purple-haired teen. “I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want to become even a fraction of similar to their parents! Or one parent in particular. This idea is just nonsense! Y-You know what? It’s—It’s time we create our own stories! And did our own storytelling!”  
  
“ _Hear, hear_!” Kitty cheers then Raven startles as the crowd begins applauding.  
  
Madeleine elbows Kitty, “you’re enjoying this a bit too much.” She whispers.  
  
“Am I Madeleine dear?” Kitty claps with a smile.  
  
“What in the fairy realm is going on here?!” The crowd almost instantly parts as Snow White makes her way through. She stops and her eyes widen when she takes in the three of them. “T-Those eyes!” Kitty, Madeleine, and Raven hexchange glances. She looks up and gasps when she sees the Evil Queen. “ **You**?!” She scowls. “ _Daniella_!” She bellows then a tall bespectacled blonde scurries through the space left by the parted crowd. “What is the meaning of _this_?”  
  
The blonde adjusts her glasses, “I-It was just common courtesy, I-I never hexpected her to _respond_ let alone arrive!”  
  
The Evil Queen _smiles_ and the two women take a step back. “Please give Queen Beauty my warmest regards.”  
  
Snow White _shudders_ then turns to Raven. “ _You_. When the tours conclude you are to report directly to my office.” Then she turns away with a huff storming off.  
  
The Evil Queen puts a hand on Raven’s shoulder leaning close, “like it or not, Daughter Dear, you didn’t fall very far from my poison apple tree.” Raven looks up at her mother with narrowed eyes when she leans back.

  
🍎

  
“Not only is the Evil Queen and her no doubt equally horrid daughter causing a ruckus before we’ve even opened the school doors, we have _Wonderlandians loose_!” Snow White massages her temples.  
  
“If you didn’t want specific individuals here, you shouldn’t’ve opened the islands to _everyone_.” Beauty retorts.  
  
“How would it look if I singled several people out _on paper_? I would’ve thought you’d use that giant brain of yours!” Beauty rolls her eyes in reply. “Hopefully, they’ll leave voluntarily and by voluntarily I mean we make them leave.”  
  
“Maybe you’ve spent too much time around the Evil Queen.” Danella mutters.  
  
Snow White stands, “I will not let _anyone_ stand in the way of this school flourishing! This is _our_ perfect world, not The Evil Queen’s! And certainly not any _Wonderlandians_! Gather the staff. We’re having an emergency meeting.” As Snow White storms out the office, Daniella and Beauty share a worried glance.  
  
In the faculty room, Snow White is the last to arrive and she closes the door behind her. “I hear there are Wonderlandians on the isles.” Someone says, “you know those... creatures thrive on chaos and riddles.” The crowd murmurs in agreement.  
  
“Believe me, I know. Any thoughts for getting rid of them?”  
  
A hand raises in the air, “a magic ban!” The crowd murmurs their agreement.  
  
Snow White waves her hand dismissively, “can’t. That’ll mean the fairies will have no way to travel.” The crowd murmurs miserably.  
  
“Q-Queen Snow...” Briar Rose steps forward, “I’d hate to interrupt the train of thought but... i-i-if The Evil Queen is here, w-who’s to say Maleficent isn’t here as well? Lurking in the shadows.” The crowd gasps.  
  
“Oh great.” Snow White massages her temples, “I had forgotten about Maleficent.”  
  
“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” Briar gasps, “Maleficent’s grudge of being overlooked by my parents and generally unwanted by the other fairies at my first birthday party is what cursed me! What if she wants to curse my child? W-What if _she_ has a child too!? Who knows how many Charming men are running loose all over every realm!” She screams.  
  
“Get a hold of yourself!”  
  
“‘Get a hold of myself!?’” She repeats aghast, “what if The Evil Queen and The Dark Fairy join forces, huh? What then!? We don’t have magic!”  
  
“These are _our_ isles, not even Maleficent or The Evil Queen can take that away from us. If we band together, there is nothing or no one that can stop us! And we’re going to start by putting ‘Raven Queen’ in line. She may be her mother’s daughter but I doubt she’s just as powerful.”

  
🍎

  
Kitty chuckles to herself. “Why are you still listening to that recording? Wait, where did you even get it from?!”  
  
“I have my... sources.” Her phone disappears in a flurry of purple glitter. She puts an arm on Raven leaning on her, “I think you made Mrs. White just a tad bit ticked.”  
  
“Yeah, no kidding.”  
  
“You know, she didn’t seem at all like her story depicts her.” Madeleine points out, “wasn’t she ‘revered’ for her kindness? A-And the ‘animal’ thing?”  
  
“Guess that’s just one more reason we shouldn’t have to recreate our parents’ lives.”  
  
“Maybe Queen White only had a child to live vicariously through them? Going through the same story again but just having a more... supervisory role.”  
  
Raven shudders. “That’s so twisted.”  
  
“And not in the fun way!” Madeleine adds with a pout.  
  
Raven sighs contently, “I can’t take how cute she is.”  
  
“Mads’ is a real heartbreaker. As Charming as the King of Spades.”  
  
“ _Ack_! Speaking of card royalty, wasn’t Lizzie with you?”  
  
Kitty’s eyes widen, “oops.” Madeleine sighs.  
  
“‘Lizzie?’”  
  
“Yup, Lizzie. Lizzie is... let’s see if I remember her whole name: Elizabeth Constance Mackenzie Marinara De Villiers Heart.”  
  
“That’s a mouthful.”  
  
“The longer your name, the more important you are.” Kitty taps a finger to her cheek, “I lost her looking for you. We were holding hands making our way through the crowd when we.... well I sorta disappeared so I guess it’s my fault. Lizzie doesn’t do too well with strangers. Just a bit of a warning. I like you so you should know when pissed, Liz can decapitate you.”  
  
“I’m sorry!?”  
  
“Not yet you’re not.” Kitty makes a throat-cutting gesture, “she’s more powerful than her mum was at her age. She’s just _brimming_ with magic as Mads’ old man would say. All of us are.”  
  
“And we’re darn proud of it!”  
  
Kitty pats Madeleine on the head. “yes we are. Lizzie can make playing cards, usually hearts, appear out of thin air. Make anything out of cards too. And with a quick flick of her fingers, she can cut through anything. And I mean _anything_.”  
  
Madeleine nods in agreement, “yeah. But don’t worry, she’s only decapitated like five people or so—”  
  
“And they all had it coming.” Kitty finishes with a smile. “One was even able to get most of his head sewn back on. Want to know the reason we don’t leave Wonderland? We’re looked down upon by _every_ other realm. You saw the way Snow White looked at us.” Raven nods with a frown. And she thought people looked at her mother with hatred. “They think because we’re a little bit chaotic and silly, we’re fools. Intruders regularly hop in the rabbit holes and try to steal our treasures. A group of let’s just call them ‘treasure hunters’ figured they’d steal from the Queen of Hearts. Bad. Idea.” Madeleine nods somberly. “Her heir stepped in to make them realize just how bad. Liz dealt with them. Swiftly. And, you know, by rule one has to be left alive to tell the tale.”  
  
“Thank you for letting me know that last bit.”  
  
“You’re practically a Wonderlandian by association at this point.” Kitty elbows her with a wink, “we take care of our own.” Madeleine nods in agreement. “So when you go see The Big Bad Headmaster, we’ll be beside you.”  
  
“And if we can’t go in through the door—”  
  
“—We’ll use the window~”  
  
“Never thought I’d be happy I fell out of a bubble and landed on my face.”  
  
Madeleine claps her hands together then hugs Raven. Shrugging, Kitty joins in on the hug.  
  
For the most part, the tour was uneventful. It was also short. Very short. Unlike the other groups, theirs drastically shrank to just the four of them and the fairy in charge of them didn’t bubble them away to any of the other islands. Or any other part of this island. She pretty much took them around the fairgrounds then brought them to this bitching sized _all-white_ castle.  
  
“I know she’s going for a theme...” Kitty begins, off-handedly. “But this is just tacky.”  
  
“Sad to say I agree.” Madeleine says making a face. “Color scheme is not working out compared to the rest of the island.”  
  
Raven simply shakes her head.

Behind them, The Evil Queen merely scoffs. “Let’s get this over with.” The four of them march up the stairs into the castle.  
  
A green fairy appears, in a burst of green glitter, once they step inside, “I’ll be your tour guide. Follow me please.”  
  
Kitty sneezes loudly startling the fairy, The Evil Queen, and Raven. “Oh no. She’s allergic to fairy dust.” Madeleine holds onto her shoulders consolingly.  
  
“Oh! I-I’m terribly sorry! I-I had _heard_ of fairy dust allergies but have never seen a case up close. J-Just try to—I’ll keep to the corner here. You... stay on the other side of the hall.” Sneezing again, Kitty glares up at the fairy.  
  
The other fairy that was taking them around wasn’t anywhere near close to them so that’s probably why this fairy triggered Kitty’s allergy. “Oh my. It seems I misjudged you, Dear Raven. You have the most interesting taste in friends.”  
  
“That hardly sounds like a compliment, coming from you, mom.”  
  
“Quite the contrary, I am very impressed. Almost _proud_ even. You never socialized with the witches and sorcerers around the lab. I figured that you were the issue but it seems that was not the case. In any event, I have never been to Wonderland but I’ve always admired the chaos the Cheshire Cat creates. I’d dare say I’m a fan.”  
  
Raven rolls her eyes. The fairy keeps stealing worried glances at Kitty who was walking behind Madeleine putting her head against the slightly shorter girl’s back. While she still sneezed occasionally.  
  
“You have arrived at your destination.” Then the fairy disappears in the same manner it appeared. Kitty sneezes loudly and Madeleine tries to wave the remnants of the fairy dust away with her hands.  
  
The Evil Queen steps in front of Raven and opens the double doors.  
  
Snow White stiffens in her seat when they enter and the doors close behind them. “What are _you_ doing here?”  
  
“Oh come on, Snow! You summoned my daughter. Did you not think I would come with her?”  
  
“You were hardly any mother figure toward me.”  
  
“Are you certain about that? You’re alive, aren’t you?”  
  
“Despite your numerous attempts to kill me!”  
  
“That helped you build up resilience.”  
  
Kitty sneezes. Snow White’s eyes cut to Madeleine and Kitty before returning her attention to The Evil Queen and Raven. The black-haired woman clears her throat, narrowing her eyes, staring at Raven. “Let’s get to why you’re here. Ms. The Evil Princess, you have some nerve speaking of being nothing like your mother then inciting a ruckus the very moment you arrive at Legacy Isles! I haven’t seen such chaos since your mother crashed my wedding reception and cursed half my guests!”  
  
Raven glances at her mother who shrugs. “I figured I would get an invite. Considering I’m the only reason they met.”  
  
Snow White glares at her before looking back at Raven. “You are a guest invited here and this is your response!? What do you have to say for yourself? I have students bellowing how they will not be forced into becoming carbon copies of their parents. Children literally would not hexist without their parents!”  
  
“Yeah? Well, parents wouldn’t be parents without their kids, would they? But that doesn’t give them or you the right to control every aspect of your kid’s life. To take their agency and not allow them a single choice in their own lives. To gaslight your own damn kids into doing what you want because you gave birth to them? They didn’t give birth to themselves! How could you hold that against them?” Snow White’s left eye twitches. “The whole purpose of your ‘island’ is to have your kids reenact your lives for some sick gain of reliving your past glory!”  
  
Snow White stands, “that is enough, young lady! The purpose of Legacy Isles was to introduce our children to other realms. Give them the things we never hexperienced—”  
  
“Right, then when the time came, you’d turn them into miniature yous!”  
  
“How dar—” Snow White glares at The Evil Queen smirking, “this is _your_ doing!”  
  
“Oh no. She gets that free-spirited hellfire from her father, I’m afraid. I was more of a stickler for hexes and destruction. I would love nothing more than for my Raven to become truly, purely evil. Even more evil than me. _That_ is the future I foresee for my daughter. To go beyond my limits. Not having her end up just like me. Doomed to make the same mistakes and not hexperience her own life.”  
  
Snow White grits her teeth, “you—”  
  
 _“Raven! Raven!”_ People start cheering. Right outside the double doors.  
  
“What is the meaning of this?”  
  
 _“Raven is right. We are not our parents!”_ Someone yells.  
  
 _“We deserve to live our own lives!”_ Someone else yells.  
  
Madeleine gives Kitty a look that goes unnoticed by the other occupants of the room.  
  
 _“If you kick Raven off the isles, the rest of us are leaving too!”_  
  
 _“Raven! Raven!”_  
  
 _“Raven is right! She shouldn’t be punished for it.”_  
  
The purple-haired teen turns to the catgirl, “how do they know my name?” She hisses.  
  
“Lucky guess?” Kitty says with a shrug, then sneezes and groans.  
  
Snow White’s left eye twitches. “ **Alright**!” She slams her hands down on the desk. “She is permitted to stay but if she leaves of her own accord that will be the end of it!” The crowd cheers. “Now get out of my castle.”  
  
“Always a pleasure, Mar—I mean _Snow_.” The Evil Queen waves before opening the double doors to the crowd, “let’s do this again sometime.”  
  
Kitty and Madeleine both hold onto one of Raven’s arms as they walk through the parted, cheering crowd. “Father always said my rebellious nature would bite me in the ass.”  
  
“And I couldn’t be prouder of it.” The Evil Queen wipes an honest-to-goodness tear from her left eye. “You got the worst qualities of both of us. I’m so...” She fans her eyes. “You’re making my mascara run.”

  
🍎

  
“Can you _not_ hext and fly?” That barely gets a side glance of a response. Maleficent presses her middle fingers against her temples rubbing them in a circular motion as they walk the fairgrounds. _Teenagers_. If she’s not goofing off with the other fairies, she’s on her phone hexting. Of all the recently hatched dark fairies grown in the garden, the one she’s come to know as Faybelle had the most potential and power... but she also had the shortest attention span – as Maleficent came to realize over the course of the last few years.  
  
Still, maybe this “school” Snow White bragged about might help. Introducing Faybelle to other creatures, not just other fairies, might make her take being evil more seriously. Faybelle was down with “harmless” pranks and things that toed the line of malicious but she wasn’t fully into the purebred destruction of another’s soul. Maybe this will help. Hopefully. She’s at her horns end, truly.  
  
Grimhilde’s pregnancy caught all the witches in the coven off guard. Truthfully, The Evil Queen confessed to Maleficent all those years ago that she thought herself infertile; she had a price to pay to invoke her dark gifts unlike Maleficent – a fairy who harnessed the darkest of her garden given gifts.  
  
As fairies don’t reproduce in the messy manner of other creatures, and although she hadn’t once considered _trying_ physically obtaining a child with her own body, Maleficent searched the realms for orphaned children of every species but none of them ever worked out. Thankfully, she returned to the fairy realm shortly after a new cluster of dark fairies were being taught to fly. Dark fairies were rarer to come by compared to other fairies and truth be told the only places they even grow are in the fairy realm – once every blighted moon – and Wonderland, on an even rarer occasion. Though Wonderlandian fairies lack wings due to their no fly rule The Red Queen placed onto the ground with a branding iron.  
  
Maleficent should’ve known picking the showboat flying circles around her peers goading them was both the best and worst option for her to pick but when you’re _The Mistress of Evil_ you get first dibs on dark fairy apprentices. The other dark fairies knew this, and Maleficent knew a few had their eye on Faybelle.  
  
Hexiting the obnoxious all-white double doors of Snow White’s castle, is The Evil Queen with three teenagers. Huh. Maleficent remained in contact with her and she never said anything about adopting or having more than one daughter.  
  
The crowd is chanting something she can’t hear—  
  
“Alright, that’s enough!” The purple-haired girl yells, “thank you for your support in getting me to stay but you made your point.”  
  
“We haven’t made our point, not yet.” Someone states. “This is merely the beginning!”  
  
The purple-haired girl sighs, “right.” The crowd cheers as it begins dispersing.  
  
Smirking, Maleficent makes her way over to The Evil Queen who laughs and embraces her. “It’s been too long, Mal!”  
  
“It absolutely has, Ev!” They let go of the embrace and put an arm around each other facing the children.  
  
“Raven, I’m certain you remember your fiendish godmother?”  
  
“How could I forget?” Maleficent embraces the purple-haired teen.  
  
“Oh my! How you’ve grown! I didn’t recognize you!”  
  
The Evil Queen gasps, “wait... y-you!?” She points at Faybelle _who probably still hasn’t looked up from her damn phone_. “ _How_!?”  
  
“Oh yes. There are many, many ways to acquire a child. While she isn’t related by blood it doesn’t make her any less my daughter. This is Faybelle.” At her name being called, she hums out a reply. “I remember you talking about wanting to meet The Evil Queen? Well, here she is.”  
  
Faybelle slowly looks up her phone and gasps, “ _no potion making way_!” She flutters over to The Evil Queen, putting her phone in her bat wing shaped purse. “This is setting hair on fire wicked!” She hextends a hand, “Faybelle Malevolence Thorn.” At the impressed hum, The Evil Queen shakes the giddy fairy’s hand.  
  
“A pleasure meeting you, Dear.” She chuckles, “this is my daughter Raven, I hope you two get along hexcellently.”  
  
“Oh! Y-Yeah. Absolutely!”  
  
The Evil Queen smirks at her daughter then raises an eyebrow. The fairy flutters over to her and before Raven can hextend her hand, Faybelle embraces her. “Good—Wait—” She separates, “I mean wicked awesome meeting you, Raven.” Her grey eyes sparkle.  
  
“Oh no.” Raven mutters trying and failing not to be the reason that zaps the joy out of those eyes, “I’m... I’m sorry to disappoint you but I’m not evil like my mom wants me to be!”  
  
Faybelle blinks at her, eye sparkles all gone, then her eyebrows furrow, “what? Y-You’re _not_ evil?” She glances at The Evil Queen who shrugs.  
  
“Not even remotely. Not even infinitesimally. She’s in a respellious phase, I’m afraid. I’m hoping you can help her out of it.”  
  
“Oh...” Faybelle salutes with a wink. “You can count on me!”  
  
“I like your energy.”  
  
“That’s one thing Faybelle has an abundance of.”  
  
“Hi, Miss Maleficent, remember me?” Maleficent looks down at the lavender-furred catgirl with the purple twintails then opens her mouth in shock.  
  
“Oh do I ever!” She hugs the girl and Faybelle tilts her head in confusion. “You’ve grown so much! You were just a ball of purple fur last time I saw you! I went to Wonderland looking for a child, the fairies and The Cheshire Cat helped me a great deal. Yet I wasn’t able to find one from there.”  
  
“You went to Wonderland?” The Evil Queen asks.  
  
Maleficent nods. “Wonderfully terrible chaotic place. I love it so. We visit annually to watch The Card Royalty’s beheadings.”  
  
“Never gets old when The Queen of Hearts chops their heads off as they’re still talking!” Faybelle cackles. Raven watches the white-haired, blue-grey skinned, winged fairy girl in horror. Come to think of it, Kitty and Madeleine just casually mentioned one of their friend’s beheading some people so maybe that was... just something that happened in Wonderland.  
  
“Kitty Cheshire.” She tip-toes to shake an eager Faybelle’s hand. “This is one of my best friends Maddie Hatter.”  
  
“The Mad Hatter... reproduced...” Maleficent utters in awe, “...that realm truly _is_ filled with wonder...”  
  


🍎

  
“Is it me or is it really warm here?”  
  
“All these ‘islands’ and not one for ice creatures?” The Snow Queen rolls her eyes. “Some ‘Snow’ Queen.” The blue-haired woman looks over her shoulder. “Don’t dawdle, Crystal.” The teen nods following after her mother. The Snow Queen leaves a trail of ice with each step she takes and Crystal grimaces as she sees people slipping on the ice her mother is creating.  
  
Crystal briefly stops walking to check the sole of her boots. No ice trails. She doesn’t get it. She has ice powers just like her mother. Sure she needs _a wand_ to cast the magic but it’s still her using the wand. If only she was blessed with magic through the hand like her cousin. Speaking of which, she hopes Abbey’s parents change their minds about coming to Legacy Isles. It’ll suck being the only ice elemental creature around. Especially in a place so warm.  
  
Her mother opens the double doors of the all-white castle. They’re entering as some else is hexiting and they slip on her mother’s ice and fall down the stairs out of the building. Crystal winces as they sit at the bottom of the stairs rubbing their head in confusion.  
  
“ _Dear sweet fairy queen_!” Someone loudly squeals, “ _I’ll do it! I just love a good makeover_!” Snow White’s office doors open and a fairy zips out. “ _I’ll help that poor, troubled girl_!” Snow White smirks briefly before she schools her features to a neutral hexpression.  
  
“If it isn’t the Snow Queen!” The black-haired woman behind the desk opens her arms wide, “welcome! As I’m sure you are aware, we have a bit of a Wonderland... issue.”  
  
“As a creature of magic, Wonderlandians don’t bother me. Unlike non-magical creatures attempting their hand at magic.” The two women stare at each other. Crystal peers to the side and sees the nonchalant façade slowly slipping off Snow White’s face. “What did you summon me here for?”  
  
“You’re a Queen. I’m a Queen. Why wouldn’t we work together?”  
  
The Snow Queen scoffs, “my, my... aren’t you full of yourself?”  
  
  
🍎

  
“Legacy Isles” offers a school in which “all” beings are welcomed. It’s called Waldek Academy, although – asking around – no one truly seems to know _why_. The school is located in the center of the “main” island, which is in the center of the five islands surrounding it. (But are they really “islands” if they’re connected to one another?)  
  
Unsurprisingly, the school is significantly smaller than Snow White’s obnoxious all-white castle – and that building’s function is currently unknown. ~~Other than to be there imposing and tacky.~~  
  
There are a lot of unknowns about this place.  
  
Legacy Isles also offers its students “free” housing in their dorm buildings, not castles... thankfully.  
  
The dorm selection process was a strange one. Room tickets were hidden all over the islands and students had to find them. There were four buildings on the main island dedicated to dorms and each building had a corresponding color: purple, red, gold, and green.  
  
When she found the purple ticket with E-36 scrawled on it, the nearest faculty member informed her of where her room was located.  
  
Clawdeen drops her bags in front of the opened door and sniffs around the room. _Her room_. But judging by the second bed in the corner, it isn’t solely her room. Great, she spent her whole life sharing a room with someone. First her older sisters then her youngest. She figured in a place this swanky she’d have a room to herself! “This is smaller than our room back home.” Howleen says, walking past her older sister and plopping down on the closer bed. Their only brother Clawd opted out of attending the school, choosing to remain at Blood Moon High for his final year of howlschooling. One of their older sisters Clawdia sighed saying she wished this place hexisted when she was in howlschool. As the two youngest, Clawdeen and Howleen accepted the invitation to “Legacy Isles.”  
  
Wolves didn’t have the greatest legacy. But if any two wolves were gonna deny their messy, pre-determined, stereotypical path of attacking random civilians until they were swiftly or brutally murdered or remaining in hiding until they died of starvation, it would be Clawdeen and Howleen Wolf. Upon hearing that purple-haired witch girl pretty much declare the same thing, Clawdeen knew she made the right call agreeing to come here.  
  
Howleen looks around the plain room. The only things in the room are two beds made up with all-white sheets. Clawdeen will definitely put some of her flair in it. “Wonder who your roommate is? Wonder who _my_ roommate is?” Thankfully, Howleen also found an E purple ticket so they’d at least be in the same building on the same floor. When they’re done here, they’re heading to Howleen’s room.

“Whoever they are, I just hope we get along.” Clawdeen picks up her bags then tosses them onto the bed Howleen chose for her. “Wonder if there’s room to set up my sewing machine table?”

“Clawdeen, what if your roommate doesn’t want all your clothes strewn around the room—?” Howleen gives her older sister a sharp look.

“I’m gonna keep my stuff to my side.”

“You never did in our room.”

“Neither did you, Ms. Steals My Clothes.”

“I never stole anything! You can’t decide you don’t want an outfit then make me give it back after I put my clawsome touch on it!” Howleen sticks her tongue out.

Cerise freezes when she hears voices outside her newly assigned room. If two people already claimed this room, she’ll just go find another... or go back home. The latter...? That’s ultimately the better decision. She can just hear Ramona telling her to “wolf up” and get this over with. What the hell was her twin sister thinking roping her along in all this?  
  
So what if they found their estranged father? It wouldn’t do them any good! _He_ left _them_!  
  
With a sigh, Cerise makes sure she’s in front of room E-36, then knocks on the doorframe.

“You can come in~” A voice cheerfully sing-songs as the arguing abruptly stops. So far, so good. Adjusting her hood, Cerise steps into the doorframe and sees two wolves looking back at her. Wolves. Of course, she’s roomed with wolves. Why wouldn't she be? So much for keeping her half wolfness a secret. If anyone can sniff her out, it would be another wolf – particularly a full-blooded one. After all, even as a half-wolf Cerise can sniff them. “This must be your roommate!” The orange-haired wolf springs up from the bed and walks over to Cerise. “Hi! I’m Howleen Wolf, that’s my big sister and your roommate Clawdeen.”

“I’m Cerise Hood.”

“I love your cloak.” Clawdeen says, “it’s killer.”

“Thanks. It’s an old family heirloom.” One Ramona – the elder twin by seven point five seconds (because she was just _born_ pushy, literally, and got out before Cerise had a chance to) – rejected because she embraced her wolf half, having more distinguishable wolf features harder to hide than Cerise’s. Identical freaking twins yet so freaking different. All Cerise had were the fangs – no one would ever see if she never fully opened her mouth – and the damn ears her mother told her to always keep hidden via magical hooded cloak because her ear-length hair wasn’t long enough to cover them naturally. _Especially_ how Ramona gave her an undercut in the back.  
  
Cerise only has the one pull-on bag she rolls over to the empty bed.

“So, Cerise...?” She glances over at her new roommate, “would you be cool if I worked on my clothing in here?”  
  
“‘Clothing?’”  
  
“I wanna be a fashion diesigner and this school is the purrfect place to scout some models to help get my name out there.”  
  
“I—” Cerise pauses, “I don’t mind.”  
  
“You wouldn’t be interested in modeling, too, would you?”  
  
“ _Me_?! Oh no! I’m far too shy.” She subconsciously makes sure her hood is secure. (She doesn’t miss the glance the sisters make.)  
  
“That’s cool. We’re gonna be rooming together so I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable.”  
  
“That’s nice of you.”  
  
“You don’t have to keep the cloak o— _ww_...”  
  
“Damn Howleen, I just said I don’t wanna make her uncomfortable!” Clawdeen puts a hand to her head, “ignore my big mouth little sister.” Howleen glares at her.  
  
Cerise chuckles, “I know all about having a big mouth sister, but mine is a few seconds older.”  
  
Clawdeen laughs. “I got a couple of those too, older than a few seconds though.”  
  
“Like you don’t got a big mouth?”  
  
As the sisters argue (again), Cerise suppresses the urge to facepalm. Why did she say she had a sister out loud!? The second thing their mother said was to make sure no one knew they were related! It’s as big a secret as them being half wolf. Ramona can’t pass for a full-blooded wolf but you wouldn’t necessarily know she was part human just by looking at her, but if creatures were to know Ramona had a human- _ish_ sister, and a **twin** sister at that, they’d put the two together.  
  
Clawdeen and her sister seem nice but now Cerise’s big mouth will cause her to return to the crawlspace their mother made for them.  
  
“You okay? You don’t look so good.” She jumps when Clawdeen puts a hand on her forehead.  
  
“I-I-I’m good! Honest. Just thinking.”

  
🍎

  
“I need to find a gold ticket!” Blondie screams, frantically walking the hall. The gold tickets were rumored to have the best rooms on the island! Blondie Locks **is** royalty, she knows she is! And the best way for people to perceive that is for her to get one of those “royalty” rooms.  
  
Needless to say, there were far less gold tickets than any other color. Her mother found everything “just right” after just two tries. The whole “thing” with the three bears? Her perfect husband! Their house! That gift _had_ to be passed on to her! Sadly, Blondie didn’t find any tickets yet. Not one that was purple. Not one that was green. Not even one that was red. None. Not a single scrap of misplaced paper caught her eye.  
  
Daring Charming, son of King (Prince?) Harry Charming, was flashing his perfect teeth and perfectly golden ticket. His small yet rapidly growing fanbase swooned with every step he took. Everyone within ten paces of the blond was spellbound by his looks and swagger. The curse (gift?) of being born a “Charming.” Blondie heard all the stories from her mother.  
  
Blondie saw him up close and, yes, she was also spellbound but she fancied his little brother more. Dashing Charming was every bit as handsome as his older brother but he had long flowing blond hair. His following was as big as his older brother’s. Blondie could see why. _But_ she won’t let that distract her from finding a gold ticket!

She nearly bumps into a girl with platinum blonde hair. “Sorry about that.” The girl says in a silky, melodious voice. Blondie finds herself nodding along to whatever the girl is saying before she hears. “Oh! Dammit, it’s happening again!” Groaning, the girl slowly drags her hand down her face. She waves a hand in front of Blondie’s face until Blondie snaps out of her stupor.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Sorry about that. Here.” Blondie gasps at the ticket in the girl’s hand. “Take this. For the inconvenience.”  
  
“A-Are you sure?” The girl nods. “Thank you. Thank you so much! I was looking _everywhere_ for one of these! I’m Blondie. Blondie Locks.”  
  
“Darling... Charming.” She grimaces. Blondie passed by two Charmings and the third had what she needed! Her mother’s luck saved her! (Was that a choir humming along to the blonde’s voice?)  
  
“Oh! B-But I don’t have a ticket to trade with you.”  
  
“That’s alright.” Yup. Definitely a choir. “That might be for the best. Take care now.”  
  
“You too.” As the platinum-blonde dashes away, everyone stops walking to watch her go and sigh lovingly. Damn. Those Charmings were powerful!  
  
Blondie hugs the ticket to her chest. They said, apparently, the tickets were split in two and the tickets of the roommates will complete each other. Or some bs. Doesn’t matter because she has a ticket! Now all she needs is to find some fellow _non-Charming family member_ royalty! Wait. She never heard of there being a _Princess_ Charming. And, thanks to her mother, Blondie is very well versed in the “happily ever after” category of storybooks.  
  
“This is a gold ticket. What do you mean I do not have access to this room!?” Blondie walks over on curiosity alone. She’s never heard an accent like that before. She sees a girl with curly jet black hair with red streaks, the top tied up in a heart-shaped bun (somehow), and a red and gold crown on her head (possibly keeping the bun’s shape).

“We apologize but there must be some sort of mix-up.” The girl’s eyes narrow. She has a red heart over her left eye.  
  
“If this sort of incompetence happened in Wonderland you’d all be floating headless in the Queen of Club’s pond!” The guards shrink in on themselves, clutching each other. “This is discrimination!” She gasps, “this is **Wonderlandian** discrimination! I _am_ royalty, I deserve a royal room! I found a gold ticket!”  
  
“What’s going on?” Blondie perks up as a bespectacled brunette running over to the doorway.  
  
“What is ‘going on’ is I am not being allowed into the room I found the ticket for!” (Blondie notices the black-haired girl flhexing the fingers on her left hand.)  
  
“Seriously?”  
  
The girl nods. “The second I opened the door these guards arrived and told me there was a ‘mix-up.’ And they only did so because I am the Wonderlandian Jack of Hearts!”  
  
The brunette looks at the ticket in the black-haired girl’s hand, “this is definitely a gold ticket with room X-1 on it. Hey, that’s my room too! I guess that makes us roommates.”  
  
“M-Ms Beauty, there have been room mix-ups and—”  
  
The brunette holds up a hand, “I am not royalty, yet you find no problem with _me_ entering this room?”  
  
“You are the daughter of Queen Beauty!”  
  
“If you are aware of that then you should know my mother renounced her ‘title’ years ago. I am less deserving of this room than the Jack of Hearts. That’s directly below the queen, making her royalty.”  
  
The guards stretch out their collars, clearing their throats. “There is no written law in Legacy Isles that acknowledge Wonderlandian royalty outside of their realm. There is no equivalent to a ‘jack’ of anything here.”  
  
The black-haired girl points a finger accusingly at the guard, “and just what makes your way right? Would any outside realm acknowledge _your_ royalty?” The guards stammer and sputter.  
  
The brunette turns to the black-haired girl, “I am sorry about this. I will have a talk with my mother about this whole ‘royal’ room thing.” The brunette puts her ticket in the guard on the left’s hand. “Thank you for letting us know the room situation.” She hextends an arm and the black-haired girl takes it but not before slamming her ripped ticket down on the other guard’s hand, cutting them. “We’ll find ourselves a better, more welcoming building to room in.”  
  
Blondie watches the guards hexchange a frightened glance before stammering and running after the girls, dropping the tickets in their haste. Blondie picks up the discarded tickets and puts them in her pocket. This room is across from hers. She might as well make some new friends and give _them_ the tickets. It’s important to establish yourself early in a new setting. Similarly to what that brunette just did. ~~Only, in favor of the rooms – not against them. Why wouldn’t royalty get better rooms?~~  
  
According to her sources, Queen White, Former Queen Beauty, Queen “Ella,” and Queen Rose are in charge. Four Queens or three queens and one former queen from kingdoms in every major direction. They wanted their daughters to have their own little playworld that wasn’t in any of their kingdoms so it would be “fair,” and thus Legacy Isles was created but it took one non-blonde Queen to ruin that fantasy before it began playing out.  
  
Blondie will definitely have to look for Raven Not Royalty Queen and get then subsequently stay on her good side. (Assuming she _had_ one. She _is_ the daughter of the most evilest being in any realm.)  
  
Her mother told her bad things about Wonderlandians and based on what she just saw, she wasn’t the only one.  
  
If Wonderlandians were such a problem, why bother inviting them in the first place?  
  
Unless they crashed the unveiling! Blondie gasps, that sounds hexactly like something she’d hear in her mother’s stories!

  
🍎

  
“I do hope, Queen White, you have a way to accommodate your aquatic guests?”  
  
Snow White forces a smile and nods. “You’ll find we are willing to accommodate all creatures from every realm, My Lord.” Who in the monster realm, invited Freaking Poseidon to Legacy Isles!? Bad enough the Grim Reaper was asking questions about ghosts. And someone hired _The_ "Big Bad" Wolf in the staff so he was asking about wolves and other monster animals. Then there were the elemental monster ambassadors.  
  
This is not at all playing out the way she envisioned. (Maybe she should’ve left Beauty out of the planning? No, the brunette is the smart one. There’s no way Daniella and Rose could’ve planned this out by themselves. And as this was _her_ idea, Snow couldn’t be caught undead doing menial labor). She should’ve set better parameters rather than “welcome the islands and school to all.” At least Dracula was on their side.  
  
They needed a monster representative and he was the most civil of all the monsters Snow ever interacted with. Not that she’s interacted with much. _Though_ she does have a natural knack for calming animals. Surprisingly, The Big Bad Wolf was also civil. And this was the same wolfman who tried to eat three pigs minding their own business, two decades ago. (However, Snow White met those same pigs and she’s honestly surprised no one else ~~publicly~~ tried eating or killing them, they were annoying as hell.)  
  
The staff of Waldek Academy were a mixed bag of beings. From the humans to the... the questionable. Mad scientists, monsters creating their own families! _The Brothers Grimm_! She’s gonna need to have a chat with Beauty before the day is done.  
  
“M-My Queen!?” The guards burst into the office then scream staring at Poseidon.  
  
“If my daughter feels even the slightest bit inconvenienced or unwelcomed, I will plunge each of your islands into the deepest depths of the sea.” Snow White gulps audibly, “for your sake, I certainly hope you offer swimming lessons.”  
  
When the man – fish – god... whatever leaves the office, Snow White glares at the guards. “What is it?”  
  
“Rosabella Beau—Rose. Rosabella Rose, Your Majesty.” The guard on the left squeaks.  
  
“She... She’s... co-cohabitating or planning on cohabitating with a Wonderlandian!” The other guard hexclaims.  
  
Snow White facepalms, “prince of darkness...” ~~Why was she hexpecting Rosabella not to be as problematic as her damn mother?~~ “Which bloody one?”  
  
“W-We don’t know.” Snow White runs a hand down her face, “she—we never asked for a name.”  
  
“ _Then go find out who_!" The guards salute then run out the office. Snow White massages her temples. Just how many damn Wonderlandians were on the isles anyhow?

  
🍎

  
Bunny sneezes then turns into a rabbit. All of this bloody fairy dust in the air made her nose itch. When the White Queen and Red Queen played card stack to find out which of their kingdoms would send family members to this alleged “Legacy Isles,” Bunny was surprised her father offered _her_. Bunny was so surprised she transformed into her rabbit form in shock. She had no desire to leave her family or friends, especially to go to some snooty sounding potentially illegitimate “academy.” Alice was the bridge between the “human” realm and Wonderland and when she disappeared humans became less trusting of Wonderland; assuming Wonderlandians murdered the ambassador. (The Queen of Hearts, Red Queen, and King of Clubs each _did_ try murdering Alice... more than once, but none succeeded! Not to mention pretty much everyone, minus The Red Queen, came to love Alice.)  
  
What was even more surprising than The White Rabbit offering his only offspring was the Cheshire Cat doing the same thing. Only Kitty didn’t seem too perturbed by the idea of being displaced from her home. But nothing openly seemed to bother Kitty. She wore that manic Cheshire smile in whatever she did.  
  
All the card royalty ended up playing card stack after the White and Red Queen tied – to the surprise of no one with them being twins and tying with pretty much everything they did. When it was the Card royalty’s turn to play card stack, The Queen of Hearts won and Lizzie honorably stepped up to the plate... or rabbit hole.  
  
Lastly, the Mad Hatter was nominated to send Maddie to round out the group. (Never mind the Mad Hatter wasn’t even in the area but... whatever. It was either her or the Jesters and Maddie was much better company than Courtley.) The four of them arrived together via bubble but when that bubble popped they sorta... scattered. (i.e. got lost, twice.) In rabbit form, Bunny stayed with Madeleine while Kitty kept disappearing and reappearing on Lizzie’s shoulder. Then they swapped shoulders, Bunny being with Lizzie and Kitty with Maddie. A fairy blew fairy dust while floating and Bunny fell off Lizzie’s head when she sneezed. She only managed to avoid getting squished by returning to her usual form.  
  
Bunny’s right ear twitches. She _should_ be able to find her fellow Wonderlandians. Hopefully. She trips over an outstretched root that’s attached to a girl.  
  
“Oops. Sorry about that.” The girl lets go of the root and helps Bunny up. “I’m Venus.”  
  
“Bunny.” The girl smells like lettuce and Bunny wouldn’t be making the best impression of Wonderlandians by nibbling on another person. But her damn traitorous stomach rumbles loudly. Is it cannibalistic to ask a plant girl for leaves? “Sorry. Haven’t eaten since I arrived. And I lost all my friends.”  
  
“Oh!” The plant girl’s eyes widen, “I’ll help you look for them. I’m actually looking for my parents. One of the fairies mistook them for the school’s shrubbery.” Bunny grimaces. “I was just asking the plants if they saw them. I can ask about your friends too.”  
  
“Would you? Oh—” Bunny claps her hands together, “that would be just wonderfully wonderful!”

  
🍎

  
“Once I heard of the “all beings welcomed” school, Viveka, I thought to myself: it would be amazing to see it first-hand. Then I had another thought: don’t just see the school, hexperience it!” Viktor removes the cloth from the table and his wife puts a hand to her mouth gasping, “we’re far too old to do that but this little marvel of mine—I mean this marvel of _ours_ won’t be!”  
  
“You...” Viveka stares at the table – or to be more accurate the individual on the table, “you’ve...”  
  
“Yes. I’ve created us a daughter, Love! Just like Victor created us.” Viktor stares up at the picture of the pale, peach-skinned human man in a lab coat hanging on the wall.  
  
“That school sounds too good to be true. Are you certain about this?”  
  
Viktor beams, “why do you think I agreed to be a staff member? I want to see ‘the fruits of their labor.’ I want to document every impurfection!”  
  
Viveka stares back at the unconscious or not yet brought to life girl on the same table she was created on, wearing the same dress she was brought to life in. Though the dress is a lot bigger on the girl. She looks to be a young teenager. They’ve never spoken about creating children before. Viveka squints. Viktor must have a bit of trouble distinguishing colors because the patchwork on their “daughter’s” skin isn’t the same color. The left part of her face to the bridge of her nose is a pale blue-grey while the rest of her face is a calming mint green. It’s the same issue with her limbs but they aren’t even the same green and blue as her face. Oh well. It— _She’s_ theirs, and she’s absolutely purrfect. Viveka wouldn’t want her any other way. “Don’t just stand there. Flip the switch! Bring our daughter to life.”

Nodding, Viktor hooks up the electrical clamps to the bolts on their daughter’s neck. “Arise, My Frankie Stein!”  
  
Viveka looks at him, “‘Frankie?’ Seriously?”  
  
Shrugging, Viktor flips the switch.

  
🍎

  
“This has your mother written all over it, Orchid.”  
  
Apple sighs loudly, “yes, it does.” She stares at the large all-white castle in the distance. This is not at all how she hexpected her week with her mother to start.


	2. teenage ghoul brain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classes have yet to start, and the staff of Waldek Academy already find themselves in over their heads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait a splinter, while writing I realized if Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose Sr.) and Beauty are sisters [in Ever After High anyway] that would make Beauty’s surname Rose as well. Meaning Rosabella’s surname would also be Rose. Oops. Time to edit the first chapter.  
> Courtly has a white spade over her eye instead of a diamond for reasons I hexplain in her introduction  
> 

Viveka holds her breath, covering her mouth with her hands. Tears well up in her eyes as she watches heterochromatic eyes fly open; the left green and the right blue. A nice charming little touch Viktor added as a nod to both of them, it would appear. Her green eyes and his blue. Viveka watches Frankie—their _daughter—_ take in as much of the ceiling as she’s able.  
  
“Oh. My. Gore!” She shoots up like a shaken beaker startling both of them, “that stain on the ceiling corner looks just like Lil’ Mummy’s back bandage tattoo graft!” She shrieks.  
  
Viveka looks at her husband, “...what?”  
  
“I...” Viktor clears his throat, “I... extracted data from students involving the brainwaves of teenage ghouls of every known species.”  
  
“You—Oh Viktor! _Teenage ghoul brain_!?” They both look at Frankie humming to herself as she rocks from side to side, “are you certain that was a good idea?”  
  
“No. However, it was the only one I had! Frankie is a teenager...” They continue to stare at her, “we have no hexperience dealing with teenagers. We were created as adults. I wanted our daughter, our Frankie, to seamlessly fit in among her peers like her stitches seamlessly patch her skin together.” Sighing, Viveka puts a hand to her head. “Frankie—” The teen turns her head to him, “—I boolieve I implanted knowledge of us into your brain, but just to make certain—” He clears his throat, “—do you know who I am?”  
  
“Absatively. Like a positive charge. Viktor ‘Frightening’ ‘Franken’ Stein. Creation of the ‘mad’ human scientist Victor ‘Franken’ Stein but ‘Viktor’ is spelled with a C as the humans do it. There is a common misconception about ‘Franken-Stein’ being the name of the ‘monster’ rather than the human ‘creator.’”  
  
Viveka gasps, “that’s...! H-How much data did you input into her brain?” Viktor replies with a one-shoulder shrug. Putting a hand on Frankie’s shoulder, she turns to Viveka. “Do you know who _I_ am, Frankie?”  
  
“Viveka ‘Lively’ ‘Franken’ Stein. Another creation of Doctor Victor With A C Franken-Stein, actually created _before_ Viktor but activated after. Victor With A C was more interested in a momster’s touch but couldn’t figure out just how to get Viveka working.”  
  
“Yes, yes... all of that is... important, and also something I did not know, but do you know who I am... to you?”  
  
“I don’t understand the question.”  
  
Viktor puts one hand on his chest and the other on Frankie’s other shoulder, “Viveka and I are your parents, Frankie.”  
  
Frankie’s eyes narrow in thought, “right. Parents. Got it. Mom and dad. You are my creators in the literal sense, huh?” As they help Frankie turn to get off the bed, her left hand detaches from her wrist, limply falling into Viktor’s hand. “Oops.” She chuckles. “Guess I gotta hand it to you, huh dad?”  
  
“Wait a second...” Viveka furrows her eyebrows, “I’ve heard that joke before.”  
  
Viktor reattaches Frankie’s hand but her pointer and pinkie finger fall off. “Oh dear. Let me just get you new ones.” His only remaining fingers are blue so he and Viveka each stitch on one Frankie’s hand.  
  
“I like how asymmetrical this is.” She puts her left hand in the air hexamining it. “Ooh. Can I take a gander at myself? See your handi-work?” They both help Frankie off the bed and Viktor helps her take her first unsteady steps over to the mirror. “This is me?”  
  
The teen tenderly touches her face, “yes, this is all you Frankie.” Viveka says.  
  
She smiles at her reflection, “you know... it’s weird. The Doctor created you two to be his parents but technically you’re his kids.” She chuckles, “then you two turn around and make an actual child. Kinda full circle, right?”  
  
Viveka’s eyes widen then she grabs Viktor by the arm, “you didn’t...!” She hisses. Viktor rubs the back of his neck with his free hand, “ _you did_! _You implanted some of the doctor’s brainwaves into Frankie_?!”  
  
“I needed a spark!” Viktor defends, “something different to define her. The Doctor was one of the few humans allowed in this realm before the great zombie migration. He was ridiculed and subjected to unimaginable horrors by humans and monsters alike, and throughout it all, he still persevered! That perseverance is an admiral quality to implant. Some of his... quirks just came along with it. Plus, it’ll...” He clears his throat, “be the purrfect balance for offsetting the teenage ghoul brain.”  
  
“ _Or_ it could counteract and make things worse.”  
  
“Either way, her personality is all her own. Even The Doctor couldn’t do that.”  
  
“Hey guys!” They both flinch as Frankie turns to them. “Sorry for spooking you but I just had the most voltageous idea! Ready?” They both hesitantly nod. “What if we made like a pet or something? Every family needs one of those, right? Throw in a couple of bolts here, a couple of bolts there, some stitching in a few key spots, some spare skin grafts—” She rubs her hands together, “something cute and cuddly but destructive and deadly! Ooh! Like a narwhal! Or a werecat!” Frankie gasps, “a narwcat!” She turns back to the mirror prattling off random narwhal and werecat facts.  
  
Viveka glares at Viktor who sighs heavily.

  
💭

  
Apple sticks close to her father as they walk the fairgrounds. “Attention future students of Waldek Academy, please report to the counselor castle – located adjacent of Headmaster Queen White’s castle – for class registration and photo identification charms.” The Fairy Queen announces via megaphone, flying overhead.  
  
Waldek? Apple shakes her head. Of course her mother would name a school after herself without anyone _knowing_ she named it after herself. But her mother hardly went by her real name anymore. She built her legacy as “Snow White,” the nickname the huntsman dubbed her when he spared her life, and that’s the persona she became. Her father told her, her mother used to be different when they first married. It took them two years and a baby on the way to realize they knew next to nothing about each other and divorced. Apple grew up in the castle with both parents for almost ten years, no one other than the dwarves knew about the divorce and they were amicable enough with each other that there was no outward change in behavior. It was only when her father began seeing someone and considered remarrying was when their divorce became the talk of the kingdom. ~~(And naturally, Snow White made it all about herself.)~~  
  
The blonde’s phone pings and she takes it out of her purse pocket to read the hext. “ _Apps, saved you a room_.” She reads aloud. “Oh! Holly found me a room.” She pauses, “a room? Why do I need a room?”  
  
“For those of you who have yet to find a room ticket.” The Fairy Queen says via megaphone, “please see Fairy Godmother at the counselor castle.”  
  
Furrowing her eyebrows, Apple hexts Holly and gets a reply almost instantly, “we’re to live on the isles while attending the school? Wait a minute! W-What’s going to happen to my weeks with _you_ if I am to live here? Has mother bitten another poison apple? This is hardly fair to you!”  
  
“Don’t fret, Orchid, if you can’t leave I’m sure I can visit you. Your mother never breathed a word of this ‘pet project’ of hers and the dwarves were just as clueless.”  
  
Apple stomps her foot, “‘don’t fret?’ How could you be so calm? She cannot do this to you! I will not allow her to do this to you! I am going to talk to her.” She looks around then grabs a fairy that flies by by the foot, “excuse me.” She releases the fairy. “I apologize for the abruptness. Would you be so kind as to tell Queen or Headmistress or whichever title she chooses to go by White – the... whatever she is to this place, her daughter requests a word with her? At her earliest convenience?”  
  
The fairy taps their chin, “I’m certain I can but Headmaster Queen White is very busy.”  
  
“Oh, I understand. Truly, I do. Please ask her if she is too busy for her daughter, is she also too busy for someone who knows the history behind this school’s name?” The fairy eyes the blond suspiciously before nodding and flying away.

  
💭

  
The “counselor castle” was a modest-ish looking grey brick building with some fancy crystal-like flags on it. Daniella wouldn’t consider herself best suited to play pseudo counselor but if “Headmaster” Queen White was the other option, Daniella would gladly accept her new role. She and Dracula have been seeing students for the past six hours and the blonde doubts they’re halfway done.  
  
Daniella _knows_ Snow White is ill-equipped for the sheer amount of students who applied to the school.  
  
A girl with black hair with white streaks classically walks into the office then penchés, kicking the door closed. Dracula and Daniella exchanges a curious glance. “Name?” Daniella asks.  
  
“Duchess. Swan.” The girl spins then pliés into her seat. She crosses her left leg over her right, then crosses her right leg over her left.  
  
“Who was your letter addressed to?” Dracula asks.  
  
The black-haired girl hums moving from side to side in her seat, “my mother Odette. I boolieve she has received the unfurtunate epithet: ‘Swan Queen?’ Furever after cursed because men are lower than lake scum?” She maintained eye contact with Dracula while saying that and the vampire coughs, adjusting his collar.  
  
“Ms. Swan.” Her brown eyes flit over to Daniella. “What are your interests, so we can spelect your spellectives?”

“Curious. If you must know, I am interested in dancing. All. Kinds. Music too. Gotta have something to dance to. I prefer dancing solo. Best way not to ruffle any feathers.”

  
💭

  
“Ms. Thorn, what are your interests?”  
  
Faybelle’s wings flutter as she hovers above the seat hexting, “does playing pranks count?” She asks, not bothering to look up from her phone.  
  
  
💭

  
“Ms. Hattington... Hatter, was it?” Madeleine nods enthusiastically. “What are your interests so that we may spelect the appropriate spellectives?”  
  
The blue-haired teen taps her chin, “making new friends!” She ticks that off with her pointer finger, “throwing tea parties!” Another tick with her middle finger, “inviting my new friends to a tea party!” She ticks off her ring finger.

  
💭

  
Dracula clears his throat, “Ms. Queen.”  
  
Raven sighs, “yes?”  
  
“What are your interests?” Daniella asks, “we need to spelect your spellectives.”  
  
“Oh. Okay. I’m interested in...” Raven pauses, looking between them like she ate a raw sourberry, “I’m interested in... I—I’m-I-I. I don’t know what I’m interested in!” She puts her hands to her head and the miniature glass sculpture of Snow White on the desk shatters. Dracula and Daniella startle and Raven turns around, “did I do that? I-It wasn’t on purpose! My powers... I make things hexplode when I get stressed. D-Do I have to pay for that?”  
  
Dracula sits up, “Ms. Queen, why don’t we... give you a day to figure out your interests then come back to us?”  
  
Raven stands, “yeah...” Daniella’s eyes widen as the shattered glass starts congregating on the floor. “Take some time to think.” She nods, “thanks.” As she exits the office, the glass stops moving.  
  
Daniella glances at the new, unfinished sculpture of a hand holding a fireball.

  
💭

  
“Ms. Cheshire Cat—”  
  
“Just Cheshire. Like we call you just ‘Ella,’ right?” Daniella stares at the catgirl staring back at her.

  
💭

  
Prince Daring Charming walks in the office blowing a kiss at all the future students swooning in the hallway before closing the door. He takes out a gold compact mirror and checks his reflection. “Mr. Charming, welcome.”  
  
“The pleasure’s all yours.” The blond says blowing a kiss at his reflection before taking a seat.  
  
“Mr. Charming...” Dracula begins watching the teen check his teeth in the mirror, running his tongue over his top teeth. Dracula glances at Daniella who gives a one-shoulder shrug, “Mr. Charming, what are your interests?”  
  
Daring lowers his compact, “other than myself?” He replies with a blinding smile. The two of them squint nodding. The blond sighs. “Well, I suppose anything ‘prince-ly’ would suffice. No, no... not ‘prince-ly’ I suppose ‘king-ly’ if I am to be future king. That would appease my parents. Oh and non-contact sports.” He gestures to his face, “I want to emphasize _non-contact_. I’m obviously a catch from head to toe, but don’t want the beautiful wrapping getting damaged. Can I go now?”  
  
“We need to take your photo for the identification charm.”  
  
The blond perks up, “just point me in the direction of the camera!” Daniella does so and the blond smiles with a wink when the shutter flashes. “When do I get to see it?”  
  
“When you receive your schedule. Thank you, Mr. Charming.” Dracula dismisses him. Daring gives them both finger guns as he walks out the door he opens the door and pats his sister on the back before leaving the room whistling.  
  
The blond pauses and turns around, Darling sighs then closes the door before Daring can say anything. She takes the newly vacated seat with a blank expression.  
  
“Ms. Charming, welcome, what are your interests?”  
  
The platinum-blonde squints, “that’s a rather vague question.”  
  
Dracula does a double-take. “We’re trying to spelect your spellectives.” Daniella cuts in.  
  
Darling continues staring at them with narrowed eyes, “I see. Very well.” She pauses, “are my parents ...going to find out about this?” When Daniella and Dracula shake their heads Darling sighs in relief. “My _interests_ don’t involve me ‘waiting around’ for a ‘prince’ to ‘save me’ from a curse or a dragon or a calamity or an arranged marriage or a _whatever after_! I want to be my own savior if I need saving. I want to have an adventure no one dictates! My interests are: swordfighting, rock climbing, dragon riding, roller derby. _Ooh_! Do you have fair-tasy football here? I’ve played casketball before. It’s very enlightening. There are so many sports throughout all the realms! I want to try them all.” She pauses then rubs the back of her neck, blushing slightly. “sorry, as you can tell I don’t get to talk about this. My parents are too busy writing up dowries for me.” Dracula and Daniella stare at her teary-eyed. “U-Uh...?”

  
💭

  
“Ms. Hearts... what are your interests?”  
  
“Presently, it is dismantling the ‘golden’ rooms and their tickets.” The paper in the black-haired teen’s hand slices in half. Dracula and Daniella exchange an alarmed glance.

  
💭

  
“Ms. Hood, was it?” Cerise nods at Dracula, “what are your interests?”  
  
“Why do you need to know my interests? If you don’t mind me asking?”  
  
“It’s to spelect your spellectives.” Daniella replies.  
  
“I...” The brunette subconsciously adjusts the collar of her hood, “I’m interested in ...learning.” As the brunette looks down frowning, Dracula and Daniella briefly share a glance.

  
💭

  
Apple walks into the room and looks around. “Welcome, Ms. White, have a seat.” The blonde does hesitantly. “We need to know your interests so we can spelect the appropriate spellectives.  
  
“Ah. Makes sense. I was raised to be interested in all things regal. I am going to be queen of Locken kingdom once my mother officially steps down.” Apple’s eyebrows furrow, “ _if_ she ever steps down. Which she probably won’t while she’s still alive. I’m also interested in learning how to break curses. You know what, let’s just call that one an interest in magic.”

  
💭

  
“Welcome. What’s your name and who was your letter addressed to?”  
  
The blue-haired teen plops down in the seat. “I am Crystal Winter, my letter was addressed to my mother ‘The Snow Queen.’ Not to be confused with ‘Queen Snow White.’” Daniella and Dracula nod. Crystal claps her hands together, “what else do you need to know?”  
  
“What are your interests?” Dracula asks. Crystal tilts her head to the left, “it’s in order to spelect your spellectives.”  
  
“Ah. Uh... let’s see. I love making new friends! But I guess that wouldn’t really help. Uh... I like creating things with my ice powers? That counts, right?”

  
💭

  
“Ms. O’Hair, yes?” The purple-haired girl nods, “what are your interests?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Your interests.” Dracula repeats, “it’s in order to spelect your spellectives.”  
  
The girl blows her blonde bangs out of her face, “hair.”  
  
“Can you be a bit more... specific?”  
  
The girl frowns, “my interest lies in doing hair. I want to open my own hair salon some day. Holly won’t let me experiment with her hair so—” She gestures to her head, “gotta try it on myself. And I guess being here would allow me to work on all sorts of types of hair! You _do_ have like cosmetic or beauty related classes right? Like sign me the hell up.”  
  
Dracula and Daniella ask her several more questions and after she’s taken her picture, the purple-haired teen exits the office and her twin sister enters. The purple-haired teen pats her sister on the shoulder and there’s a brief hexchange between the twins before the blonde enters the room and takes a seat her sister previously vacated seat.  
  
“Hello.”  
  
“Ms. O’Hair. Welcome. Who was your letter addressed to?”  
  
“Uh... ‘Rapunzel.’ _Queen_ ‘Rapunzel.’”  
  
Daniella nods, “okay and what are your interests so we may spelect your spellectives.”  
  
The blonde blows out a breath, “whew booy. _My_ interests. Hm. I guess... I’m interested in storytelling. I _love_ learning about people’s story chapters and hearing all the details of their lives! Being shut up in that tower gave me and my sister plenty of time to read about the stories the Grimm brothers have put on paper. And even the stuff other famed storytellers have written. I’m so hexcited to be here! Can you tell how hexcited I am to be here?” Dracula and Daniella nod slowly.

  
💭

  
“Ms. Wolf, what are your interests?”  
  
“That’s an easy one. Fashion. All kinds of fashion. Well, not _all kinds_ because some fashion – especially some coming from these princesses and queens – is _really_ questionable.” Clawdeen puts both hands over her mouth, staring wide-eyed at Daniella who stills her movement with the pen in her hand.

  
💭

  
Draculaura walks into the office as Dexter Charming leaves shaking his head, mumbling to himself as he cleans his glasses. “Hi, dad.” She takes a seat, resting her trusty parasol by her feet.  
  
“Hello, Moonlight. Have you found a room yet?”  
  
“Oh yes! My roommate is named Blondie. She’s a nor—mian. _Hu_ man.” The vampire corrects, sending a nervous glance to Daniella who either doesn’t notice the slip up or chose to ignore it. “She took the bed closer to the window so I could avoid sunlight during the day.”  
  
“How thoughtful of her. And you’ve been staying out of direct sunlight?”  
  
“Naturally.” She taps the bat-shaped sunglasses on her head.  
  
Daniella clears her throat, “I apologize for interrupting, but we still have plenty of other students waiting for their classes.”  
  
“Oh, yes. Right.” Dracula nods and Draculaura nods alongside him, “what classes do you want to have?”  
  
“Ooh. Well, what are my choices?”

  
💭

  
Ashlynn walks into the room, sidestepping Beauty’s daughter, Rosabella, who leaves with a heavy sigh and head shake. “Oh. Hi, mom.”  
  
“Hi.” The blonde takes a seat. “I know them but why don’t we tell Dracula your interests so we’re all on the same page?”  
  
“Sure. I _love_ shoes! I mean, they are the werecat’s pajamas. They complete an ensemble. They highlight. What’s not to love about them?”  
  
Daniella chuckles, “I meant your school-based interests, Ash, we need to spelect your spellectives.”  
  
“ _Oh_.” The blonde instantly deflates, “I don’t suppose there’s a shoe-based class...?” Both Dracula and Daniella shake their heads. “Didn’t think so...” She mutters.

  
💭

  
“Ms—” Dracula tilts his head to the left, “‘Godmother?’” The blue-haired teen in front of them nods.  
  
“Daughter of _The_ Fairy Godmother, right hand to the Fairy Queen. I mean, as far as titles go I’d be Godmother trainee but—” She trails off with a shrug.  
  
“Interesting.” Daniella begins. “What are your interests? We need to spelect your spellectives.”  
  
“Bettering the realms through magic. My mother helped you out and I wanna do what she did! I don’t get what that Raven girl’s hangup is with not—okay I get _her_ specific hangup but she doesn’t have to ruin things for everyone else! Sometimes you gotta bite the sunflower seed to crack it open. Chrysalis’ don’t just _appear_ , it takes ‘em time to form. Some creatures are not meant to have life well.”  
  
  
💭

  
Snow White puts a hand to her head. This... is a disaster! Several fights have broken out over gold rooms. Fairies flying around are triggering allergies all over. A fire elemental would-be student reportedly lit their would-be dorm on fire, and that fire spread throughout the whole floor leaving dozens of other would-be students without rooms. A would-be student nearly died because their helmet got punctured accidentally by fairy dust and all their water ran out. (And she doesn’t understand how _that_ was possible!?)  
  
The school is hilariously understaffed _and overpopulated_. Her ungrateful daughter arrived and already began making threats! (Which, under any other circumstance... Snow White would be _proud_ but not when it’s against her! And certainly not now!)  
  
There is a four to one ratio of non-human to human students. Which is something else she was criminally unprepared for.  
  
But the worst of all? Poseidon.  
  
Poseidon who’s been pushing this safe haven for the water breathing individuals who couldn’t breathe air. A place they could just be, without water helmets. Now considering his daughter is among the list of individuals, it’s... understandable. (She’s done all she could to make sure Apple had a comfortable, fitting for royalty life in spite of her... quirk.) It’s just frustrating as hell for _her_ to have him come in and muck things up but—he was like 220cm and predominantly muscle. Who would argue?  
  
Poseidon has his arms out wide, “...in just a few short days, we’ll have an aquatic dorm to suit my fellow water breathers!” The crowd of water breathing... creatures cheers; some wearing water helmets and some not, “or aquatic attachments for those who don’t wish to change rooms. And I have been given a position among the staff to make sure nothing goes belly up.”

 _What_!? Snow White turns to Beauty who gives her a “what can you do about it?” look. Well, at least that’s one headache she won’t be blamed for if something goes wrong. She’s gonna have to start delegating so she can take a massage break.  
  
“Mr. Poseidon, what are the aquatic students supposed to do in the meantime?” The ...whatever he is, raises his hand and water comes out of nowhere and neatly and definitely magically sways in a rectangle behind him.  
  
Then he raises his other arm and another gust of water appears and magically forms a rectangle. “Saltwater on the left. Freshwater on the right.” The crowd cheers diving into the large aquatic rectangles.  
  
Hm. Poseidon mentioning plunging the islands into the sea seems more of a serious threat now that she’s seen a fraction of what he can do in person.  
  
“If we move the hedgehog farm to the apricot field and the apricot field to the aptly named shallow valley, we’d have the perfect spot for the aquatic house, Mr—? _Lord?_ Poseidon?”  
  
“Just Poseidon is fine, no reason to worry about frivolous titles.” The fairy nods. “I wish to speak to the Fairy Queen before any movements are made.”  
  
“Of course. I shall relay that to them.” Then the fairy disappears in a puff of pink sparkles. Poseidon coughs then waves the lingering fairy dust away.  
  
Gil squirms watching his fellow freshwater monsters swim about in a rectangular block of water. Granted it was created by Poseidon but even if he _the king of the deep_ he was still a saltwater monster. Gil gulps, causing some bubbles to blow to the top of his helmet. Poseidon’s daughter was standing (sort of) outside the saltwater block of water with her helmet on, tail perched on a scooter.  
  
Even the freshwater monsters revere Poseidon, though not as much as their king, Neptune.  
  
Gil frowns as he stares at Poseidon talking to his daughter. He doesn’t get it. According to his parents,. saltwater creatures can breathe air due to their additional organs. Unless Poseidon did the unthinkable and had a baby with a freshwater monster, there is no reason his daughter has to wear that helmet. Wait. Even a half saltwater, half freshwater monster would be able to breathe air... or would they? It’s so unheard of he doesn’t know.  
  
This is confusing. Almost as confusing as his presence here entirely. He was top student at his previous school. Why bring him out of that environment? And to _here_? His parents are such sticklers for keeping him away from saltwater monsters, telling tales of how horrible they are. Speaking as if they were the worst thing to come out of the sea. Saltwater monsters were responsible for krakens, _hybrid_ monsters, jellyfish, whales! And many, many more sorts of undersea horrors! This _has_ to be some mistake. Or a punishment but he doesn’t remember doing anything wrong. Maybe if he goes to speak to Queen Headmaster White he can go back home?  
  
Gil watches half the aquatic creature population use mobility devices so they can traverse on land. Gil was fortunate enough to be born with legs rather than a tail or tentacles. His parents’ tentacles always got caught in things.  
  
Seeing enough, Gil turns to leave. When he turns around, a wheelchair zooms by nearly rolling over his feet. He flails and trips over a tentacle falling forward until another tentacle grabs him by the base of his helmet preventing said helmet from cracking all over the cemented floor. “You okay there, Mate?” An unfamiliar (beautiful) voice asks. Gil turns his head to see the most beautiful creature he’s ever laid eyes upon, crouching to his eye level, giving him a concerned look. (He’s sure his helmet fogged up slightly just by looking at them.) The beauty before him has curly blonde hair with blue streaks, pale blue scales, and puffer fish pink aquablot lipstick (the same brand his mother swears by). The beauty’s big deep sea green eyes search his face before looking up, nodding, then standing up.  
  
 _Then_ Gil is suddenly albeit slowly being brought to his feet. There’s another beautiful creature, this one is purple with yellow streaks on their face and jet black hair with pink streaks; also curly. They’re also... attached to the pink and yellow tentacles, that both tripped and prevented him from falling on his helmet, respectively. This creature – while as beautiful as their friend – isn’t looking at him with concern. Their four arms are folded over their body and their eyes are narrowed. “Watch where you’re walking.” They hiss, “you bruised my tentacle.”  
  
Gil eyes the yellow tentacle hanging limply compared to the others then clears his throat when he realizes he was just blatantly staring at a...whatever they are. “S-Sorry about that. A-And save you—I mean _thank you_ for... saving me from that fall.” The four-armed creature rolls their eyes while their friend giggles – and that is the single most beautiful sound Gil has ever heard and he once had a siren practice her solo right in front of him.  
  
The blonde elbows the black-haired creature who rolls their eyes again. “Glad you’re alright but you should be a bit more careful, yeah? Not everyone’s got tentacles and quick reflexes.” The black-haired creature puts their hands around their head imitating glass shattering.  
  
Gulping, Gil nods. “Y-Yeah. Got it.”  
  
“Take care, Mate.” The blonde _goddess_ says with a wave as they walk off. Well, the black-haired creature is struggling to walk on the ground with their tentacles. But either way, they both laugh at something the black-haired creature says, leaning into each other, as they walk off.  
  
Okay, so Gil won’t be so hasty writing this place off and bothering Queen Headmaster White. She’s probably super busy anyhow. _Plus_ , he’s sure his parents had a good reason for enrolling him into this school. And it might’ve walked off toward the counselor castle.  
  


💭

  
“You’re... leaving?”  
  
“I thought you’d be _relieved_ , My Little Hexling! I simply wanted to see if this ‘school’ was legit and it’s looking that way. I’d stay but I have curses to cast and potions that need selling. You know how it is.” Raven nods slowly, “I’ll be in touch.” She clutches Raven’s face in her hands. “Love you, Hexling."  
  
“Love you too mom.”  
  
“Stay chaotic.” Raven sighs and her mother releases her face, “to my new Wonderlandian friends, it’s been a royal pleasure! Take care of my little hellraiser.” Raven, Kitty, and Madeleine all wave watching The Evil Queen be whisked away by fairy bubbles.  
  
Kitty hums. “Evil or not, that was a stylish exit.”  
  
“Your mother didn’t seem that evil to me.”  
  
“And believe us, we know evil.”  
  
“That was reconnaissance mode. I guarantee the next time you see her, she’ll be up to her feathered cape collar in evil ploys.”  
  
“Is _that_ what that was?” Madeleine asks. “I think I saw Lizzie’s mom in one but it was with wonderduck feathers.”  
  
“Those things are a basketedbitch to groom.” Kitty mutters. The blue-haired teen beside her nods in agreement.  
  
“The more I hear you two mention Wonderland, the more intrigued I am about there.”  
  
“You’d love Wonderland!” Kitty says clapping her hands together. “No one would be harassing you for not wanting to be like your mom, that’s for sure.”  
  
The purple-haired teen spots something red hanging from a nearby bush and picks it up. “What is this?”  
  
“Looks like a room ticket!” Madeleine chirps.  
  
“Mads, we need to find room tickets too.” Kitty says and the blue-haired teen nods in agreement. “They’re supposed to be ‘all over,’ right? Be right back~” Kitty disappears in a flurry of pink glitter, leaving only her smile briefly before that disappears too.  
  
Madeleine cups her hands around her mouth, “meet us at the enchanted smoothie shop with the coming soon sign on it!” The blue-haired teen moves her hands, “come on! Let’s see where your room is! Hopefully, I’ll find my room ticket along the way. Ooh! Wouldn’t it just be spelltacular if we ended up roommates?”  
  
“Yeah, it would be.” Madeleine claps her hands as they start walking.  
  
The red ticket dorm building is a tall brown building with a red door. Madeleine looked all over; every bush, every tree, every cement block on the ground, every _person_. Nothing. Not one single scrap of paper was to be found outside. She dejectedly shuffled alongside Raven who tries to console her with a pat on the back. “I hate seeing you like this, Madeleine. I got it. I will personally make it my mission to help you find your room. And not just _any_ room either, your perfect room with all its Wonderlandian chaos.”  
  
The blue-haired teen gasps putting her hands over her mouth. “You’re the best.” She whispers removing her hands.  
  
“ _Maddie_!” The blue-haired teen’s teacup hat starts overflowing with tea and the mouse climbs out of Madeleine pocket and up her green and white gingham patterned bouffant dress all the way to her hat to pour the excess tea out of the cup. As Madeleine turns around a blur of white tackles her in the chest. Raven gasps then stares at the _rabbit_ nuzzling the blue-haired teen. Huh.  
  
“Raven, this is Bunny!” Ears twitching, “Bunny” looks up at Raven with wide eyes. “It’s okay! Raven is a friend. A really good one. She’s the one who declared we are more than our parents stories retold!” Raven rubs the back of her neck, blushing slightly. “Oh! Also, she’s not a queen. It’s just her surname.”  
  
The rabbit inquisitively tilts their head.  
  
Raven awkwardly waves at Bunny with her left hand, still rubbing the back of her neck with her right hand. In a poof of white mist, Bunny turns into a girl the same height as Madeleine with pink skin, white hair, blue-green eyes, and large white rabbit ears poking out of her head, and a small black hat on her head over the bottom of her left ear. She’s wearing a pinstripe black and white two-piece suit. “H-Hello.” She says, waving back just as awkward. “Maddie, have you seen Lizzie or Kitty anywhere? I’ve looked all over the isles. Like _all_ the isles.”  
  
“Kitty’s fine she—” Madeleine squints, “what’s that on your shirt?”  
  
Blinking, Bunny looks down spotting a purple piece of ripped paper sticking out of her shirt collar. “Huh. Hadn’t noticed that.” She takes it out of her collar. “Oh! It’s a room ticket. I must’ve run into it without realizing. I made a new friend! Her name is Venus. She’s a plant monster. Her parents were mistaken for the isle’s shrubbery but I helped her find them before they were... watered.” She clears her throat, “they needed emergency medical attention, however. There was bit of a pruning incident.” Madeleine grimaces, “she was going to help me find you guys but I told her to stay with her parents. We exchanged phone numbers though!”  
  
“That’s great! I can’t wait to meet her.” Bunny nods in agreement, “let’s help Raven find her room, then we’ll find your room.”  
  
“Got it. _Wait_ , what about Kitty and Lizzie?”  
  
“Hm? Kitty is looking for a room ticket for herself. I told her to meet us at the enchanted smoothie shop with the coming soon sign. I... I haven’t seen Lizzie since we got split up, and to be honest I’m a bit worried. What if she’s on a different isle?”  
  
“Don’t worry!” Bunny pats her on the shoulders. “We can look for Lizzie as we find our rooms. Hold on a spell, you never mentioned finding your room. Did you find it? Where’s your room ticket?”  
  
“I don’t have a ticket yet.”

“Hmmm. Then we’ll have to find your room ticket as we find my room. I heard some students found room tickets inside buildings, so we’ll keep our eyes skinned.”  
  
Raven’s ticket had R-27 on it. She cautiously opens the door with the same letter and number on it, with Bunny and Maddie tip-toeing over her shoulders.  
  
None of them see anything so they step inside further. “Hello?” Raven calls out. Madeleine and Bunny stopped tip-toeing but they’re each on one side of Raven looking around.  
  
There’s a loud thump that has the three of them jump. A black werecat with long pink hair with purple streaks tied up in a pair of dragon wings is moving the bed in the corner. They’re wearing a purple shirt with words on that they can’t see fully from their angle.  
  
“See? Isn’t that much better?” The other person has their back to them so all they see is long black hair with dark purple highlights messily falling from their pageboy hat. They’re wearing a horizontally striped black and pink romper.  
  
“It doesn’t look any different.” The werecat’s ears twitch then the two of them turn to the doorway.  
  
“It’s you!” Multiple people shout at once.  
  
The two occupants of the room and Madeleine and Bunny meet halfway in the room. Madeleine and Bunny hold onto each other. “Catty Noir!” They scream.  
  
“Raven the Rebellious!” The girl with the black hair says tipping her hat to Raven. “Catty, we’re in the presence of a spelebrity.”  
  
Raven blinks in confusion. “I’m ...sorry?”  
  
“You have no reason to be! Everyone ever after and their scary gothbrother knows who _you_ are. You’re as famous as... you’re as famous as Catty here.” The black werecat waves.  
  
“This is unbelievable! I haven’t even been here three hours!”  
  
“And you’re already a spelebrity, isn’t that just gush worthy?” Bunny claps her hands together.  
  
“No. _No_! Don’t clap!” Raven facepalms with a groan, “I don’t wanna be famous! I just figured out I don’t know what I like because my parents have dictated all my hobbies! My mom forcing me to do everything just a bit more evil than necessary and my dad trying to throw in touches of goodness whenever he could. I-I have no identity.”  
  
“Sure you do.” The black-haired girl holds Raven’s hands, “you trying to figure yourself out is an identity all yours. No one can take that away from you.”  
  
Raven sighs, “my mother will try.”  
  
“When I heard you proclaim ‘we are not our parents,’ I nearly fainted on the spot!” Catty’s ears twitch, “as a black werecat I’m hexpected to _spread bad luck throughout the realms_. My parents did it, _their_ parents did it, _their parents’ parents_ did it, their parents’ parents’ parents... You know. ‘Tradition.’ When I told my family I wanted to _sing_ , they disowned me immediately! Kicked me right out of the den! They even tried using their bad luck energy _against me_ to sink my career ship before it got afloat!”  
  
“And I thought my parents were manipulative.” Raven mutters.  
  
“So you finding your identity is super important. You’re a natural rebel.”  
  
“Raven the Rebellious _does_ have a nice ring to it.” Madeleine chimes in. “Hi Catty, do you remember me?”  
  
“Oh, yes! Thank your father for allowing me to use the teashop to work on my songs and have a place to lay my head before the concert.”  
  
“You never told me you _met_ Catty Noir!” Bunny exclaims, shaking the blue-haired teen.  
  
“I’m guessing I don’t have to worry about _my_ identity being in the presence of someone more famous.” The black-haired girl chuckles, taking her hat off and running a hand through her hair. “Way to stick it to the clawthority, fly the fly. I’m a bit of a rebel myself. If I were destined to ‘be like my family,’ I wouldn’t be in the acting business. My uncle has his fangs caught in his cape. He believes in ‘vampire superiority.’ All he talks about are ‘the olden days’ when vampires roamed the monster realm through fear and magic that blanketed the sky keeping us from natural sunlight. I told him where to transform and became best friends with a werecat, which was like total taboo in the monster realm.”  
  
Catty nods in agreement, “vampires and werebeasts have hisstory of... antagonism.” She continues, “which I am putting rather mildly. When Lissa and I teamed up to do a duet, monsters were freaking out... and not in a good way.”  
  
“You’d think the vampire court was exposed to direct sunlight with how super pale they became when I told them!” The black-haired vampire laughs. “To make batters more ironic, I was spellected to be the vampire queen. There’s this magical artifact called the ‘vampires heart,’ it _glows_ only in the presence of those who are direct descendants of ancient vampiric royalty.” She blows a raspberry, “was not hexpecting _me_ to be that but I was. My first royal decree was to throw those old-robe ways of thinking straight into the cooking lamps.”  
  
“Wow. Damn, if anyone is a rebel it’s you.”  
  
“Bats of a colony flap together. Oh! I told you my life’s beginning chapters without introducing myself! I’m Ver—” She shakes her head. “Oops. It’s been so long since I’ve used my real name I almost told you my scalias.”  
  
“What is your scalias?” Raven asks.  
  
“Veronicah von Vamp.”  
  
Bunny gasps. “V-Ver... I love the Vampire Majesty Series!”  
  
“You do? Thank you so much. My fellow vampires hate it due to all the vampire court inaccuracies. I’ve _lived_ in the vampire court so acting it gives me mixed feelings. I mean I like seeing it take a new direction but I feel like it’s also disrespecting centuries of vampire tradition.”  
  
“I’ve been wondering...” Catty begins. “Why did they give you a scalias anyway? Don’t actresses usually use their first name?”  
  
“They said my name was too before zombie language became universally translated. It had to get modernized to ‘broaden my horizons.’” Elissabat snorts. “I’m surprised they didn’t de-vampire it on the spot.”

  
💭

  
“ **You put my daughter under a sleeping curse**!?”  
  
“It seemed like a good idea at the time! Snow White was very convincing about maintaining our legacies and retelling our stories. She made it seem like what happened to us will inevitably happen to our children! I don’t know where my head was but I hooked onto what she was fishing. I know you explicitly expressed you wanted nothing to do with subjecting your daughter to what happened to you, so I figured if _I_ did it you wouldn’t be involved.”  
  
“I don’t know how you managed to convince our parents you were the smart one growing up.” Briar says shaking her head. “How could you do this to me? To your only niece!?” At least Beauty now looks ashamed of her actions. Good. It won’t fix things, however.  
  
“I know I was wrong! ...I just figured it out too late. Fortunately, I managed to... alter the curse. See, you can’t reverse or cancel a curse but you can alter it. Instead of Briar Jr. falling asleep for 102 years, she will... periodically fall asleep for approximately 102 minutes.”  
  
“‘Periodically?’ What in the demon realm does that mean?!”  
  
“It means she will fall asleep for 102 minutes at random intervals... 527,000 times in her life. Roughly.”  
  
“ _What?!_ ”  
  
“I don’t know how long you were asleep down to the last second so—” She yelps as her sister grabs her by the collar.  
  
“I swear to all that is magical, if you were not my twin, _I would kill you where you stand_! How could you possibly think this was a better alternative?!”  
  
“This was the only other alternative! You think you’re the only one that suffered because of your curse? Do you know how many creatures I went to for help? To see if anyone could break your curse? That’s when I found out curses could only be altered. The best I could do was share your burden.”  
  
“Wait.” Briar releases Beauty. “You _what_?”  
  
“I’m your twin sister, Bea. We could easily be mistaken for each other. Your curse only lasted 51 years because I took on the other 51 alongside you. Give or take a month or so. Like I said I don’t know how long you were asleep down to the second.”  
  
“I thought you got a longevity spell on you or something. I-I had no idea.” Briar pauses, “but this doesn’t excuse what you’ve done to my daughter! Five... wait, what did you say?”  
  
“Roughly... in the range of 526,500 to 527,000 times. If you multiply the amount of times by 102 for the years you get roughly 53,750,000 minutes... give or take a few thousand seconds. That is in the range of minutes we’ve both been asleep.”  
  
“You know she’ll never fulfill that price, right? Unless she lives to be 102. No, she’ll have to live to be 118 if you just cursed her this year.”  
  
Beauty shrugs. “I already said I wasn’t thinking when I bought the curse.”  
  
“‘Bought?!’ You—Who did you _buy_ a curse from?”  
  
“The Evil Queen.“ Briar facepalms.  
  


💭

  
Briar yawns. “So sleepy...” Her cousin Rosabella, who came to the isles much earlier than her, was so enamored with the idea of coming to this “school,” it was almost infectious. Almost. Briar, on the other hand, held reservations. Truth be storytold, she doesn’t trust Snow White. And not because she spent like a decade living with the Evil Queen before the woman continuously tried to kill her either. From the snippets of the conversation she heard the woman have with Briar Sr., it sounded as though Snow White preyed on her mother’s weakness of overprotection. _“If multiple Queens are in one realm, we’ll all be looking out for one another. There’s no way anyone can cast a curse on your daughter without one of us noticing.”_

Briar had to scoff. It sounded like a pen of pig shit. A ball of yarn unraveling on itself.  
  
She wouldn’t be surprised if Snow White enchanted this chain of islands to give her eternal life or something.  
  
Or if she was siphoning the other queen’s lifespans and riches for herself.  
  
Briar takes a sip of her of her fairyberry ice tea then sneezes out fairy dust. “Ooh. Don’t think that’s normal.” She experimentally takes another sip then sneezes again. “Oh fickleberry _fudge_!” She glares at the cup, “‘no fairy dust’ my heels!” Grumbling, she tosses the full drink into the trash bin. A thick cloud of fairy dust explodes from the bin. Briar sneezes so hard she loses her balance and falls on her butt.  
  
A gruff chuckle has Briar squinting upward. Someone is standing under the sun so Briar can’t see them clearly but she does see the hand extended toward her. She puts her hand in the stranger’s and they haul her up with one effortless pull.  
  
“Wow.” Thanks to her heels, she’s slightly taller than the stranger. “ _Wow_.” She blinks staring at the beautiful brunette with the pointy ears and long brown hair with red streaks. Briar blushes, “t-thanks.”  
  
“No prob. What was that drink? And what did it do to you?”  
  
“Fairyberry tea. It’s a staple where I come from but I never tried it before. And since I was leaving to come here I figured, what the hellfire? You only live once upon a time. I have fairy dust allergies but they swore on their fairy queen there was no fairy dust in it.” Briar twirls a lock of hair behind her ear, “but you’re not interested in the chapters of my story.”  
  
“Actually, I surprisingly find myself not minding.” Briar blushes harder at the toothy grin, “I’m Ramona.”  
  
“Briar.”  
  
Ramona’s phone pings and as she checks it, Briar subtly brushes off her backside. “Hm? My si—uh I just got a link.” Briar leans into Ramona a bit to see the link take her to a fable viral video from the Spiderweb. ~~The brunette smells like cherries and coffee, but that’s not important.~~ Briar and Ramona exchange a curious glance before the latter hits play. The camera is moving around until it sorta centers on a purple haired girl balling up her fists angrily, killing several plants in her vicinity. The viscosity of her magical aura is _strong_. _“We are not our parents...”_ She bites out. The purple-haired girl is talking to a purple catgirl and a... well, Briar’s not really sure what the other girl is. A teacup person, mayhaps? But either way, her rant draws a rather large crowd.  
  
Briar and Ramona are standing in the middle of a field just staring, listening to this video. While Briar can’t speak for the other girl, this video strikes a chord with her for inexplicable reasons.  
  
The second video Ramona clicks on has the same catgirl from the first video gasping theatrically (obviously faking it), proclaiming certain tickets are fake.  
  
Wait, _tickets_? What tickets?

“Attention future students of Waldek Academy, please report to the counselor castle – located adjacent of Headmaster Queen White’s castle – for class registration and photo identification charms.” The Fairy Queen announces via megaphone, flying overhead. “For those of you who have yet to find a room ticket, please see Fairy Godmother at the counselor castle.”  
  
“I— _tickets_? Do you have a ticket?” Ramone wordlessly pulls out a purple strip of paper from her jacket pocket. “Ah hell. I didn’t know anything about any tickets.”  
  
“Taking a calming potion, I’ll help you look for a ticket.” Ramona jerks her head behind her. “Mind the fairies.”  
  
“Will do.”

  
💭

  
Holly and Poppy met up with Apple near the enchanted smoothie shop coming soon to deliver the room ticket. The blonde stares at the gold ticket with M-1 on it. Three fairies had to give her direction to the room. She cautiously opens the door and is instantly blasted with confetti. “Wel— _oops_!” The blonde coughs up some confetti pieces. “Sorry about that roomie.”  
  
“No...” Apple coughs out some more confetti, “no problem.” She blinks some confetti out of her eye and sees a smiling purple-skinned catgirl. With curly purple hair tied in a pair of side twintails. Big, very noticeable cat ears poking out from on top of her head and the tail curling behind her. _Oh_. Her roommate isn’t human. This is... different. From the look of things she’s sharing a room with a werecat. if Apple Orchid Simmons White von Waldek can do one thing it’s adapt. It’s how she’s dealt with her... quirk – as her mother calls it. Born with the ability to summon apples at will (and often just at random). ~~It made her mother want to reconsider her name.~~  
  
Her roommate takes her by the hand, leading her into the room. “I’m Kittherina but please call me Kitty.” Apple stares at the catgirl smiling widely at her. “I hope we get along hexcellently.”  
  
“Me too. I’ve never had a roommate before.”  
  
“Oh? Glad to be your first roommate. Listen, sorry to cut our roommate time short but I have to meet my friends in a bit. Spot you later?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Kitty gives her a two-fingered salute before walking backwards out the room as her roommate gets the remnants of confetti out of her hair.

  
💭

  
_Ten minutes earlier..._

“There has to be a damned room ticket around here.” Kitty grouses. She’s been in and out of multiple buildings and has yet to find anything. At the sound of laughter, Kitty pauses and slowly walks backwards around the corner.  
  
“I hear they’re _selling_ gold room tickets!” The kid on the left says.  
  
“How horrible! At least we got ours for free.” The kid on the right says with a laugh.  
  
Kitty squints at the pieces of paper in the kid on the right’s hand. With a smile, she dissolves in pink steam; From in her little dimension, she lets her left arm gently pull two of the tickets from the kids' hand as they’re laughing, replacing them with gold pieces of ordinary paper she conjures up.  
  
Kitty fully reforms around the corner staring at the gold tickets with a smile. She laughs out loud when she realizes these tickets are fake. Ain’t that a kick in the crown? “Free” her tail. These were planted! She has to personally thank the genius who came up with this idea. It’s sure to harbor chaos that’ll make her mother roll over laughing. Gold paint comes away from the ticket leaving its original color, green, in places where the paint peeled off.  
  
Smile widening, Kitty sticks the “gold tickets” in her dress pocket then pulls a gold piece of string from in her sleeves and makes a few fake tickets. Once her “tickets” are made she gasps theatrically then marches right into a crowded hallway. “I can’t believe they’re making _fake_ gold tickets!” She yells.  
  
Students walking the halls stop and stare at her before approaching. The two kids from earlier approach in interest, if not a bit smug.  
  
Kitty holds out her hands that are painted gold, showing everyone around her. The crowd gasps. She holds out her “tickets,” pieces of paper the same color as room tickets with random nonsensical letter and number combinations that have gold paint chipped away. “They are fake!” Someone yells.  
  
“You should all make sure your tickets are legit!”  
  
The students murmur among themselves and take out their tickets examining them. When Kitty spots an actual gold ticket she swaps it for the green one in gold paint in the blink of an eye. These poor non magical creatures. They’d never last in Wonderland. That might be why they’re so biased against there. Her mother told her humans are always threatened by what they do not understand and cannot control.  
  
Kitty’s tail begins to sway as she feels the chaos forming. The student she first swapped tickets with gasps loudly, “ _my_ ticket is fake!” Kitty hides her smile with a shocked gasp.  
  
“So is mine!” Another student shouts.  
  
Soon people start shouting and looking over one another’s tickets and Kitty, well, Kitty (literally) fades into the background so she can look for her new room.  
  
She overheard the gold rooms are the royalty standard so there was no way she wasn’t gonna be in a gold room. She may not be Wonderlandian royalty – although she doubts they’d even acknowledge that here – but she is the Wonderlandian Wild Card to the Jack of Hearts. Not to be confused with the Jack of Spades’ Wild Card, Courtly Jester; The Black Jester Card’s daughter. Kitty wouldn’t be surprised if Courtly hitched a bubble to Legacy Isles in front of theirs before they were even selected. The reason Wonderland only sent four representatives was because of the rule of cards. Only groups in numbers divisible by fours can travel out of the realm at a time.  
  
But Courtly wouldn’t care about rules to better her standings among the Spades’ playing cards. (Kitty was glad Lizzie and her mother... well _Lizzie_ anyway was less of a basketcase than the Spades’.) If _anyone_ didn’t want to become a replica of their parent, it was Courtly. “Destined” to serve a babbling moron like the Jack of Spades? Kitty would only wish that fate upon her worst enemy.

  
💭

  
There were only two jester cards in a full deck of fifty-two cards. After the sudden passing of Lord and Lord-Consort Jokington – the Red Jester and his husband the two of Diamonds who had no heir, Cattison Kittherina Beetroot Vanisher Cheshire was dubbed honorary red joker by the damned Jack of hearts – Elizabeth. The Queen of Hearts had no problem with her daughter’s decision nor did any of the Diamonds or Clubs. All would’ve been right with Wonderland had the Spades not found an issue with it.  
  
They wanted to _trade_. _Trade_ Kitty for _her_! If she didn’t hate the Spades’ she’d feel outraged. That bunch of morons were unworthy of being card royalty and they were unworthy of having Courtly Ranch Balloon Princess Jester!  
  
If they didn’t appreciate her position as their jester then they wouldn’t have her!  
  
Had her father picked a face card instead of a number, they’d be cruising with the Clubs’ instead.  
  
When Courtly overheard the spade card guards talking about a mysterious letter addressed to whoever “whom it may concern” was, she _may have_ used her magic to impersonate the Jack of Spades but who could blame her? She was curious. Letters never came addressed to anything other than the Red Queen, White Queen, or Queen of Hearts. They only recently developed in this manner instead of having the Queen of Hearts rule over everything.  
  
The Red and White Queen’s kingdoms now bordered the outskirts of Wonderland.  
  
So... in all, the realm of Wonderland now had no “official” ruler but seven rulers of their respective spaces.  
  
“Legacy Isles” sounded like one of Vin Blanc’s two-for-one popcorn book deals but without the gooey surprise fun-filled center.  
  
Courtly left before anyone could notice. Good thing the Spades are so full of hot teakettle water.  
  
When a magical bubble came for the chosen four: Kitty, Maddie, Elizabeth, and Bunny, _(Bunny! Bunny Le Banana Blanc of all magical creatures!)_ Courtly impersonated one of the fairies and hitched a ride in the bubble with them. While she’s certain Madeleine realized there was one extra fairy than previously, because her perception powers were astoundingly accurate... and terrifying, she hadn’t tattled on her. Had anyone else noticed...? She wouldn’t be here. Courtly knew there was a reason she (secretly) liked the hatter girl.  
  
Courtly was not counting on seeing any of her fellow Wonderlandians before getting a room, specifically the Jack of Hearts. Elizabeth—no, she cuts people for using her full name— _Lizzie_ puts her hands on both hips. “What are _you_ doing here?”  
  
“Same as _you_ , Love. I’m off to—” Courtly pauses looking around, “—whatever we’re off to doing! Bringing bits of Wonderland with us!”  
  
Lizzie’s eyes narrow, “the rule of the cards strictly prohibits _five_ playing cards in a single row.”  
  
“Yes but in the second first addition of the thirty-fifth rewrite, the absence of a substitution on the sidelines is grounds for disqualification!” Courtly gasps theatrically before pointing at herself with both thumbs, “with my inclusion all is right with the realm. Consider me signed up to assist you, your Jack-ness. I will proudly do the tasks too dark for you to get your Jack-ly gloves on.” Courtly wiggles her fingers as an added measure.  
  
“No, we—” Lizzle scowls, “we are already placed in a penalty box just for... existing in this isle, we cannot do things to put us at more of a disadvantage.”  
  
“Whoa, whoa! _What_? I am a Wild Card _and a Jester_ , your Majesty, I am **never** at a disadvantage! If they want to underestimate Wonderland it’ll be a faytal—” At Lizzle’s glare, she backtracks, “fudge... I don’t know a word that means less faytal than faytal.” Lizzle rolls her eyes then walks past Courtly. “Whoa! Wait!” Courtly jogs to Lizzie falling in step with her, “I have these stubby legs, I can’t keep up. You’re not... going to tell your mum on me, are you?”  
  
“Are you kidding?” Lizzie’s eyebrows furrow, “of course you are—”  
  
“No, no! I’m not kidding _now_. Which is shocking to me too.”  
  
Lizzie rolls her eyes, “me telling mum does nothing for any of us. She is waiting for the slightest inconvenience for us to all return home.”  
  
“She is... against this?” Courtly gasps, “ooh. That’s juicy news! She— _The Queen of Hearts_ —outvoted. Maybe they should’ve left Wonderland under her rule, huh? Forget the splitting of kingdoms for card royalty and all that.” Courtly laughs, snorting.  
  
“You are obnoxious.” Lizzie pushes the laughing girl onto the floor which doesn’t stop her from laughing.  
  
“ _Wait_!” Courtly kip ups then runs after Lizzie, “wait. I’ll be good.”  
  
“Please!” She pokes Courtly in the shoulder, “you don’t know the definition of the term.”  
  
“Oh but I do, your Jack-ness.” Courtly nods to herself. “And really, I am hardly as destructive as Kitty!”

  
💭

  
“You didn’t have to come along.”  
  
“Uh, yeah I did. The last thing I’m gonna tell ma is that I lost you.” Howleen rolls her eyes. “And besides, we’re in the same building on the same floor. It’s not like we’re that far apart from each other.”  
  
“Which is why I’m saying you didn’t have to come.”  
  
“Will you stop complaining? We’re already here.”  
  
Howleen and Clawdeen stop in front of room E-15. Howleen opens the door then they both step inside. No one truly knew what to hexpect, so nobody brought anything that wasn’t major. Only carrying what they could in their bags. If they were easily bubbled here, there stuff could be bubbled just as easily.  
  
There’s a soft thud then groan. The sisters turn to the door seeing a girl rubbing her forehead. “Oww. Oh. Hello.” The curly black-haired girl says with a wave. “I’m Cedar!” She waves the match to Howleen’s ticket in her hand.  
  
“Are you alright?” Clawdeen asks.  
  
“Fine. Just... I walked into the wall. Happens sometimes. I’m not fully put together and I’m a bit clumsy and _splinters_ this truth nugget is bothersome.”  
  
“Truth nugget?” Howleen asks.  
  
“And what did you mean by ‘not fully together?’” Clawdeen adds.  
  
“I suppose I could answer both of those questions simultaneously. You see—” She twirls around, “I am a puppet.”  
  
Howleen whistles, “a damn well constructed one.” Cedar curtsies.  
  
“Thank you but I still have a few... cogs to work out. Anyway, I was created by Pinocchio and Geppetto but in order to prevent another ‘Pinocchio situation,’ Geppeto went to the Fairy Queen to extract a truth nugget so specifically set that it’ll only affect one person... or—” She gestures to herself. “—one creation. They don’t consider it a curse or spell but I can only tell the truth. Often without prompting.”  
  
Howleen grabs Cedar by the shoulders, “that’s purrfect.” She whispers. “You’d be like the truth bomb.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“If my outfit is furrific you’d tell me—” She side-eyes her sister, “—and if it isn’t you’d also tell me. Not make up excuses to save face.”  
  
“I told you I wasn’t making up excuses, Howleen. Those vaccination shots made you all moody! What was I supposed to do? Make you feel more miserable?”  
  
“So my outfit was terrible!?”  
  
“I don’t even remember what it was!”  
  
“Have you ever let me put on or make a bad outfit you just let slide?”  
  
“C’mon now Howleen, I’m an aspiring diesigner you think I’d let my own fur and blood go out there looking like a wreck? I’ve _always_ been truthful with you, and I always will be. But, having another set of eyes won’t be a bad thing. Plus, it’ll give me some peace.” Howleen sticks her tongue out at her sister who returns the favor.  
  
Cedar giggles, “I’ve never observed siblings before. It makes me feel warm inside. Like eating a plate of spellghetti from my grandpa.”  
  
“Hold up. You _eat_?”  
  
Clawdeen hits Howleen upside her head. “I swear you have zero tact!”

  
💭

  
Raven wakes up to a loud creaking sound. “Stop!” She shoots up like a rocked beaker at her mother’s voice. Unfortunately, Headmaster Queen White (are they really gonna keep calling her that?) had suspended all room searches last night, after the sixteenth fight broke out. Bunny and Madeleine hung out in her room. Bunny transformed into a rabbit so she wouldn’t take up space and Madeleine disappeared completely numerous times. _But_ she was presently on the pillow fort Catty and Elissabat made with her, and they are all asleep in it.  
  
Bunny, at the foot of Raven’s bed, stirs.  
  
“ _These_ are the accommodations you’ve given my daughter?”  
  
“Oh for hell’s sake.” With a sigh, Raven gets out of bed carefully stepping over everyone still asleep. She leans on the doorway glaring at her mother, “what are you doing?”  
  
“Well good morning to you too, Dusklight. I’m simply making your room more comfortable for you.”  
  
“I have a roommate, mom, you can’t just bring half the lab here. And I wouldn’t _be_ comfortable with all that stuff here anyhow.” Raven shakes her head as her mother gasps dramatically.  
  
“ _This_ is the thanks I get for wanting to help you out?”  
  
“ _Please_! It is way too early for all this.” Neither Raven nor her mother notice the doors in the corridor opening and the audience they’ve amassed.  
  
“The early witch gets first pick of the brooms.” Raven groans. “Put that potion shelf into the room—”  
  
“No! Don’t do that, please. Sorry for yelling.” The trolls look between the mother and daughter, “this stuff isn’t staying here, mom. You can’t tell me you’re gonna let me do my own thing then turn around and flip the scrolls on that.”  
  
“Raven Queen!” A short red-haired imp nasally calls out, stomping down the corridor toward the room. “It appears as though, once again, you are causing a ruckus on the isles.”  
  
“Who the hell are you?”  
  
The imp puts a hand to his chest, “such impudence! Why, I am Rumpelstilzchen! Overseer of students here on Legacy Isles.”  
  
“Now what does that translate to? For those of us who don’t speak shady isles?”  
  
The imp huffs at The Evil Queen raising an eyebrow at him. “I am in charge of student necessities. Not causing trouble is one of them.”  
  
Raven rolls her eyes, “what ‘trouble?’ I haven’t even done anything.”  
  
“Says you! Does _this—_ ” The imp gestures around them, “—feel like _nothing_ to you? Your presence alone causes an uproar! As the overseer of the students it is my responsibility to make sure students are comfortable in their living environment.”  
  
“I _am_ a student or rather I will be once the school opens. How is singling me out dealing with my comfort?”  
  
Rumpelstilzchen does a double-take at the teen. Everyone, now openly visible, in the hall stares at the imp. The Evil Queen dabs at her eyes. “Y-You have a point.” He grits out. “Troublemaker or not, you are still a student. I... apologize for treating you otherwise.” The imp flinches as the spectators cheer. “ _But—_!” The crowd quiets instantly, “if you do begin to ‘do anything’ I will be on your ass like a boil on a witch’s nose!”  
  
“That’s an offensive, speciesist stereotype.” The Evil Queen points out. “Witch noses come in all shapes and sizes, all boil free.”  
  
Rumpelstilzchen grumbles to himself, “as you were!” The spectators all disappear from the halls as the imp stomps away in the way he came.  
  
“Is there anything in particular you do want me to bring from the lab?”  
  
Raven eyes her mother suspiciously, “I’m good. I packed everything I needed. Unless you went through my stuff?”  
  
“Of course I did!” Raven facepalms, “but I didn’t mess with anything.” She gestures to the trolls who nod, carrying in black bags.  
  
“B-Be careful. My roommate and some friends are all over the floor.” The trolls nod as they enter the room.  
  
“You made _more_ friends? Introduce me.”  
  
“No, mom.”  
  
“Oh, what’s the harm?”  
  
Raven does a double-take, “ _dad_?!” The tailblet attached to her mother’s belt has her father’s face on it. “Are you two live-chatting?”  
  
“Of course!” Her father laughs merrily, “I’m trying to get passage to Legacy Isles. I wanted to see all this ‘commotion’ you were starting in person.” Raven runs both hands down her face. “Oh come now! Your entire existence hinges on rebelling. Embrace it!”  
  
“I can’t believe you two.”

  
💭

  
Even with the issues with the dorms, Daniella and Dracula continued to create the schedules for the students. Barring anything even more outrageous than the setbacks they’re already dealing with (which seems more than possible at this point), school should open on Monday; giving students the opportunity to prep for the next four days.  
  
“The...” Rumpelstilzchen clears his throat, “the crowd is behind The Evil Queen’s daughter, Your Grace. She’s.... well she’s a smart one. Crafty. I thought she’d be all spells and no substance but she’s not.”  
  
Snow White rubs her temples. “There is... more, your Headmaster-ness...” The Fairy Godmother begins nervously tapping her wand against her hand, “apparently Ms. Queen is not _the_ biggest issue we have to deal with.”  
  
Snow White groans, “those Wonderland pests, I know. I saw the video with that damn cat starting an uproar about the tickets.”  
  
“No, no. Well...” She pauses, “ _yes_ , but that is not what I am referring to. _Although_ these gold room tickets are very problematic.”  
  
“They weren’t meant to be distributed alongside the other tickets, but I suppose Beauty is just being outright defiant. My daughter and the other princesses were supposed to get the gold rooms to prepare them for their future ruling.”  
  
“You know there are monster and werebeast princesses, right?” Rumpelstilzchen questions. “For troll’s sake, we have _the_ vampire queen enrolled and she isn’t causing a fuss over rooms!”  
  
“Subject change. Is there any _good_ news?” Rumpelstilzchen and The Fairy Godmother share a very telling glance. Snow White continues rubbing her temples, “I see there isn’t. What’s wrong now?”  
  
The Fairy Godmother clears her throat, “with so many fairy dust allergies, it is difficult for my people to get this place functional. You can’t even turn a corner without hearing a sneeze.”  
  
“Let the fairies do their work when students aren’t around.” Rumpelstilzchen suggests.  
  
The Fairy Godmother shakes her head, “that won’t help. Some students are hypersensitive to even the _remnants_ of fairy dust particles in the air.”  
  
“Then we’ll stop using fairies. Good old physical labor will work just as well and I happen to know of a few gentlemen willing to help. Besides, I don’t get the hangup with magic anyhow.”  
  
“Magic is... wondrous.”  
  
Snow White scoffs, “magic is the furthest thing from ‘wondrous.’ It’s toxic. And above all else, an annoyance.”  
  
“Queen White—”  
  
“It put me in a two-week-long sleeping curse! It plagues my own blood with such a meaningless ability! Tell me what is ‘wondrous’ about that?”  
  
“Just because you’ve had bad experiences with magic doesn’t mean all magic is horrible. It’s magic that helped you create these isles.” Snow White scowls, “it’s magic that stands before you. There has always been a... duality with humans and magic. They want it yet they scorn it. To explain it fully is like trying to trap lightning in a bottle.”  
  
“You know what else magic is responsible for? Wonderlandians—”  
  
“Well _duh_.” Rumpelstilzchen cuts her off, “magic stems from Wonderland. Why do you think they call it ‘Wonder’land?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Magic is in every essence of Wonderland. It’s where all magical beings originated. Magic is as old as time itself. Wonderland magic goes down a magical well leading to the fairy realm. From there, the magic gets filtered and spread out throughout other magical accepting realms. Our Fairy Queen and Wonderland’s newly appointed Checker Queen are responsible for keeping things the way they are.”  
  
“It used to be the job of the Red Jester, Lord Jokington, but he croaked not even a fortnight ago.” Rumpelstilzchen interrupts. The Fairy Godmother stares at him, “what? I keep up with all the latest gossip throughout the realms.”  
  
“I swear I’m gonna give myself grey hairs running this place.” Snow White huffs. “I can’t speak to this ‘Checker’ Queen or whatever but I can talk to your Fairy Queen. Bring them to me.” Frowning, The Fairy Godmother nods. “Now, Rumpel, see if any of the millions of Charmings that came to the opening ceremony yesterday know of any large creatures. The bigger, the better. I can’t leave all the heavy lifting to the dwarves.”

  
💭

  
Landing on her feet from a freshly popped bubble, the orange werecat hikes up her backpack as she looks around. “Ugh.” She groans, “is this some kind of princess academy?”  
  
“No, Ms. Stripe, this is Legacy Isles—”  
  
The werecat rolls her eyes. “I heard the sales pitch you told my grandpurrents. I wanna know what this place is fur-real.”  
  
“As I said, it’s not a ‘princess academy.’ It is Legacy Isles. No wait. It is Waldek Academy. Creatures of all walks of life and unlife are welcome. There are princesses, sure, but there are also werebeasts, mermaids, vampires, zombies—”  
  
“It’s a princess academy.” The werecat interrupts, deadpan, staring at the fairy staring back at her. “I can’t believe this.” She groans, shaking her head, “I haven’t done anything wrong. Sending me to a place with so many snooty—” She pauses then smirks, “—furrends to make~”  
  
The fairy gulps at the manic look in the werecat’s green eyes. “I-I’m to take you directly to the counselor castle, Ms. Stripe.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah. Sure. Let’s do that.” The fairy warily watches the werecat’s tail sway eagerly as she walks.


End file.
